Mayoridad (Coming of Age), 2018
Installations | Exhibitions
Do you remember your preteen to teenage years? Do you remember your body changing and your interests expanding? Do you remember how much of an influence media had on the way you walked, talked, dressed, and even the music you listened to? Mayoridad, coming of age, is an interactive installation highlighting a fantasy teenage bedroom while capturing the emotion of Francena’s past. Focusing on gender, femininity, trauma, and sexuality, Mayoridad, puts the experience of growing up as a young woman of color on display. Mainstream media has always pressured us to conform to having straight hair, clear skin, wear a size 2 and “act like a lady.” There was never room to be yourself or to know that you can be different and beautiful. By taking the negative beauty standards of the past along with stereotypes and biases of being a woman of color, this installation functions to empower and elevate young women.
There has always been a lack of connection and understanding to our female bodies from an early age. Talking about menstrual cycles, sex, and birth have always been taboo. Mayoridad serves as a rite of passage, a guide to the unknown. It’s purpose is to educate and appreciate the value of the female. Growing up Francena never had a space to call her own. A space where she could fully be herself and find peace. Her room always reflected what was most popular at the time as well as every pain ever inflicted. Through photography, embroidery, sculpture, video and more this immersive room creates a safe space Francena wishes she had as a kid.
Link to press/publications:
https://www.jaamzin.com/post/photographer-francena-ottley
http://www.curatedbygirls.com/francena-ottley.html
https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/orgasm-pleasure-photos-stories