In the past, we’ve set aside strong women and labelled them as evil for their lack of fitting in. I believe that in my past lives, the women that have created my entity had to fight for being who they were. Fear and lack of acceptance or even understanding, make for witch hunts. The only way I see that women could move ahead from being perceived has demons or witches, sluts or bitches, is if they are ourselves for long enough. In numbers and in time, they will reunite to dissolve negative perspectives.
These portraits are characters of beautiful empowered women along with a blend of their perception of themselves, their ideals and how they would be translated into mythical creatures and ghosts. Female Oni and Yokai are not evil because of their gender, but because of their background, their past, their ambitions and free will. Beyond images of precious child bearers or raging Valkyries, my characters embody the full range of women essentialities. So, these mythical creatures I create bring a story to life while, at the same time they idealize the struggles of empowered women.
Enjoy, Mary
Enjoy, Mary