This work started as an investigation of how the domestic and familial roles we are exposed to in our youth shape our understanding of our place within the world. I was inspired by the feminist writings of Judith Butler and Simone de Beauvoir. As the work progressed and I reflected on my own childhood, it grew legs. Themes emerged of innocence, growth, regression, and the deep human desire for belonging. It left me with the question: 'Do you ever really outgrow who you were as a small child?'
I chose to colour photographs by hand and transfer them using acetone because the tactile process reflects the domestic environment and takes the images a step away from a photograph – not quite real, but not entirely fabricated, faded like a memory. Colour highlights specific aspects of the figure's 'costume' as she explores her environment and her role within it.
