Captivity

This photograph is part of Captivity, a self-portrait series exploring the emotional costs of domestic safety. Dressed in curlers and a nightgown, the subject stands in dim light, staring out a window - a woman suspended between comfort and confinement. Her home could be a sanctuary or a cage; the image doesn’t decide. With a posture that hints at judgment, longing, or quiet resignation, she becomes both participant in and observer of a life that may not feel entirely her own. In stepping into this role, I wanted to question what is surrendered in exchange for perceived security: autonomy, desire, ambition, or even identity itself. This character is part fiction and part reflection, shaped by my own experiences and a cultural legacy of domestic performance. By framing her alone, gazing outward, I invite viewers to ask themselves: what have we traded for the lives we were taught to want?