Exposed

“Exposed”

In this painting, I explore the somatic and emotional experience of shame—particularly the fear of being seen and the generational trauma of being fully present in one’s body. The figure stands on a pyre, a symbol not only of internal pressure, but also of historical oppression—an echo of the witch burnings and the persecution of the feminine throughout history.

And yet, she stays. She allows the shame to rise, to be witnessed. In doing so, she creates space for transformation. The pyre becomes a nest. There is rebirth. A soft, compassionate energy fills her—suggesting the healing that can arise when we meet shame with presence and love.

A central story I challenge in this work is the collective repression of the feminine in our psyche, and of the Earth itself. We’ve long underestimated the power of feminine energy—its ability to heal through openness, compassion, and connection, and its ability to protect - not through domination but by standing unyielding and rooted.