Smile Baby challenges deeply ingrained patriarchal behaviors by re-imagining the act of objectification.

By reclaiming the narrative through speech and imagery, these experiences are transformed into a source

of empowerment. The inspiration for this piece stems from a personal encounter I endured while walking

with two children under my care. A man in a car proceeded to catcall and follow me for several minutes,

leaving me with a distressing feeling of violation and fear. But above all else, I felt a hopeless concern and

frustration knowing the young girls beside me would likely experience similar misogynistic treatment in a

few short years – as many young girls experience objectification as early as elementary school.

This surrealist-inspired collection of ceramic wall hangings accentuates the often-silenced mental and

physical turmoil of womanhood, exploring themes of catcalling and perception through the male gaze. As

an artist, I feel a responsibility to challenge these misogynistic viewpoints that reduce the feminine

experience to just a forced smile. With clusters of eyes and mouths, the act of catcalling is reimagined into

a new entity – one which highlights the contrast between viewing vs. being viewed, responding vs.

staying quiet, and being the voyeur vs. being the object. This installation portrays the complexity of these

interactions and their long-term physical, mental, and social effects on young girls and women. My

intention is to provoke introspection and dialogue about objectification, challenging viewers to dismantle

misogynistic norms while simultaneously aiming to empower those who have felt reduced to a spectacle

through the act of catcallin