Since 2023, I have reconsidered what “undergarments” mean to me. When I no longer take them for granted as a daily choice, the body directly faces the external gaze—a gaze often silent yet heavy with judgment, regulation, and expectation. This scrutiny leads me to ask: how do we truly understand the female body?
In existing cultural imaginaries, the body is trapped within contradictory standards: fullness is seen as overexposure, while thinness is deemed "unfeminine." The body ceases to be just a body; it becomes an object to be watched, interpreted, and corrected. These unspoken norms permeate daily life, influencing how we conceal or display ourselves, and how we understand our own being.
Thus, I use my body as a starting point. Through it, I open a dialogue on self-identity, the gaze, and freedom. Before making any statement, I gaze at myself: this body that has accompanied me for 23 years—do I truly know her? Do I truly accept her? Are my choices to hide or reveal born of self-will, or a response to long-standing external interference?