Portfolio
Does It Fit?
“You won’t see it until you realize it” (“Je gaat het pas zien als je het door hebt.”). I’m not a great soccer fan, but one quote of a famous Dutch soccer player Johan Cruijff (1947-2016) I think is spot on. Gender inequality is characterized by a certain invisibility. Something that is not hidden in a physical way, that has nothing to do with visibility as to be able to capture it with our eyes. However, if a reality cannot be captured with our eyes physically, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
As a woman who used to work in the corporate world, is a mother and an aspiring photographer, I am interested in the topics of gender equality and feminism, in general as well as their role in the professional and societal environment. ‘Not for Girls?’ is an exploration of the position of women in our society based on experiences of my grandmother (‘Skirts with itchy tights’), on women who are leading the way (‘She was the first who…’), and experiences in my own professional life (‘Does it fit?’) that moved from business to art.
Skirts With Itchy Tights
I was raised to wear a skirt with tights on formal occasions. These days I felt uncomfortable because the crotch of the tights kept sliding down and the itch drove me crazy. The clothing limited my freedom of movement. That women like my grandmother didn’t go to work is one of the conventions of the patriarchal society we live in, and those conventions still have an impact on the position of women.
Nowadays, more women are finding their way in the corporate world. They serve as role models showing that ambitions can be achieved, however, equality is not yet the standard for women in leadership and decision-making roles in most fields of business or beyond.
While I enjoyed the challenges that were offered to me working in business, I struggled with the double standards that were used to measure my performance as a professional, woman and mother, compared to that of my male colleagues. This struggle inspired me to make the work.