The Unholy Gaze

Project Overview

Unholy Gaze is about how religion often frames women as unholy—something to be watched, judged, and controlled. The white figure represents purity as it is defined and imposed, isolated within the space and made hypervisible. The surrounding dark figures act as judges, embodying the collective gaze that marks the woman as impure, sinful, or morally suspect.

The large distorted head represents my interpretation of God—not as comfort or protection, but as an overwhelming presence that reinforces judgment. Its scale suggests an inescapable authority, reflecting how divine imagery can be used to legitimize shame and surveillance. In this piece, holiness and condemnation exist side by side, creating a hierarchy where women are measured against impossible standards of purity.

Through aquatint textures and stark contrast, the work emphasizes vulnerability and power imbalance. The soft tonal gradients clash with harsh forms, mirroring the quiet violence of moral scrutiny. Unholy Gaze confronts the way religious structures reduce women to symbols of virtue or corruption, leaving little space for complexity, autonomy, or grace.