Since I was a young girl, I was taught to reject female body hair.

Remove in any way possible in order to fit society’s idea of beautiful. At 18 I said no more. While I still receive discrimination from many, the existence of body hair on my skin has amplified confidence and power within myself and many other women who have chosen to do the same. Earlier centuries saw the existence of female body hair as an attribute of attraction and womanhood, however modern society has enforced it’s removal due to its correlation with masculinity and uncleanliness, both statements drilled into the minds of young men and women through the exposure of unrealistic body expectations. I am not telling women they must grow their body hair as an act of rebellion, I am encouraging equality across genders and proving a hairy woman is a beautiful woman. My artwork at university has developed through the use of my own body hair, both as a topic of discussion and a tool for creation. By using body hair within my practice as a printmaker, I hope to show the beauty of the natural form through the creation of discussion as well as the confrontation of contemporary ideals.

Grow your hair if you want to! Dye it if you want to! Don’t let anyone tell you what you should look like in order to be ‘pretty’.

-By Pheobe Winter. Instagram.