Written by Misty Robson
Published in Disgraceful Magazine
Striking simplicity meets feminine beauty in the most recent project by artist Antonia Jolley, whose gouache watercolour portraits aim to tackle one of the most common issues on social media: an unrealistic standard for women to have the so-called "perfect" body.
No. 048, No. 075, No. 236
Jolley, a first-class Fine Art graduate from De Montfort University, hopes her work will inspire women around the world to love their bodies and celebrate their true beauty, despite many of the online preconceptions surrounding body image.
The project mainly features women with all manner of body types, sizes and skin tones, as well as those with surgical scars, tattoos and other body modifications, in the hopes of empowering and celebrating the differences that make Every Body unique.
It comes on the back of several exhibitions of Jolley's work in and around Leicester in 2020, including at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery's Inspired by Lockdown, and the LOVE Art Exhibition virtually hosted by the Curve Theatre.
Many of Jolley's anonymous models, who are known only in the project by an identifying number, share their own thoughts on how their bodies make them feel, something that Jolley was also keen to highlight within the project alongside the artworks themselves.
No. 064, No. 021, No. 44
One model stated:
"I have always had some insecurities about my body. I would compare myself to photos I see on social media and wonder why my body didn't look like everyone else's with smooth hairless skin, a long and slim torso and curves in all the 'right places'. I have learnt that everyone's body is different and that having a belly that isn't flat, tones and mooth is natural and isn't something I need to change about myself. I am happy, healthy and learning to accespt my own body."
Another model admitted that:
"The views of others massively affect my relationship with my body."
Jolley's art challendes social media perfectionism and gives a voice to women who feel as though they have been let down and left out of social media scene because of their body image and a lack of representation. Jolley hopes that this project will give confidence to women both on and offline, with her art laying the groundwork for more much-needed change in the coming years.
No. 029
Antonia Jolley's work on this project , as well as her existing portfolio, can be found on Instagram @antoniajolleyart and on Facebook Antonia Jolley Art.
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