Tessa Williams
Flourish, from the series: Naturally
Acrylic and Oil on canvas
2020
32in x 40in

Tessa Williams
Emerge, from the series: Naturally
Acrylic and Oil on canvas
2020
32in x 40in

Naturally is a visualization of my personal experience with body dismorphia and acceptance of the female form, as represented by a series of paintings.  The contemporary feminine experience, with its balance of awareness and repression of welcoming the natural body, provides both a context and reason for this work to exist.  The human form, with its originality and variety, has been explored throughout the history of art, and remains a popular subject.  

Although the topic has increased immensely in awareness in the past several years, it remains a largely difficult, multifaceted subject for many to grasp.  Through my limited lens of my personal experience and with the connection that art creates with its audience, I hope to foster a dialogue about normalizing various body types; not as a subject of the past but from the understanding and intimacy of a shared emotional and physical nudity.

Anti-body positive attitudes and pressures, intentional or not, are frequent catalysts in my life for the lack of societal control in regards to the acceptance of diverse human forms.  I had been so accustomed to society's influence for such a long time that I could begin to reflect outside views of my body as absolute.  Once I stopped letting "food rules" take over my mind, I realized how much new space I had for more meaningful thoughts and goals.  After exploring and learning about how I can combat this for myself and others, I unearthed a power and confidence in myself.  We shall be different and we shall love and see the beauty in our bodies.

My studio practice consists of drawing and painting as a means of revealing the many avenues towards artistic character and using the total exploration of theme and content as a vehicle for expression.

Tessa Williams will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with a 2D contentration.