I have always loved fashion, but it has also been a source of tension. Growing up in a Muslim country, my clothing was often restricted and my appearance closely policed. Moving to a place where I could choose what I wore felt liberating, but I quickly realized that freedom came with a different kind of scrutiny.
As someone with a larger chest, I have noticed how society reads my body differently. Outfits that might be playful or stylish on others are often labeled vulgar on me. Growing up, I was constantly objectified, and being catcalled consistently left a lasting impact. That and being nonbinary left me with a very strange relationship to my breasts, largely defined by society, and I wished for a way to reclaim that, to make my body mine again. Dressing up has always felt like navigating the tension between self-expression and avoiding unwanted attention, making me wish I could wear clothes that repelled the male gaze.
This tension inspired my exploration of the grotesque. I wanted to turn the gaze back on them and make them just as uncomfortable as they had made me feel all my life. The grotesque is not about shock for its own sake it is about power, visibility, and resistance. By exaggerating the body and centering the eyes, I am exploring how objectification shapes experience and how art can transform vulnerability into agency.
These fashion illustrations are about more than bodies or fashion, they're about claiming space, demanding recognition and reshaping the way people look at me. They are a statement that discomfort can be powerful and that visibility can be reclaimed on my own terms.
