This print explores the quiet violence of expectations placed on women through the phrase, "A good wife stays silent." While the statement echoes outdated ideals, it also reflects experiences I witnessed growing up with much of my family rooted in the deep south, where traditional gender roles often carried an unspoken weight. Those expectations were rarely expressed through force, but through subtle customs, family dynamics, and ideas of what it meant to be a "good" woman. That tension between the familiar and the unsettling is what draws me to the Southern Gothic tradition.
Using the bold visual language of printmaking, I examine how oppressive beliefs can become normalized through repetition. The phrase itself is presented as something both recognizable and unsettling, inviting viewers to question the power structures hidden within everyday language. Rather than focusing on physical violence, the work addresses the psychological weight of silence and obedience, revealing how inherited expectations can shape identity across generations.
By combining text with the reproducible nature of printmaking, this piece reflects on how cultural narratives are passed down, preserved, and challenged. It asks viewers to consider whose voices have been silenced, and what it means to reclaim them.
This print is made by first taking a digital drawing composed of hand drawn and found elements, and then laser engraving them into wood which then is turned into a hand printed relief print. Check out my instagram to see some of the process!
This print is an artist proof- there a limited remaining!
Size- 16 inches x 20 inches
This print explores the quiet violence of expectations placed on women through the phrase, "A good wife stays silent." While the statement echoes outdated ideals, it also reflects experiences I witnessed growing up with much of my family rooted in the deep south, where traditional gender roles often carried an unspoken weight. Those expectations were rarely expressed through force, but through subtle customs, family dynamics, and ideas of what it meant to be a "good" woman. That tension between the familiar and the unsettling is what draws me to the Southern Gothic tradition.
Using the bold visual language of printmaking, I examine how oppressive beliefs can become normalized through repetition. The phrase itself is presented as something both recognizable and unsettling, inviting viewers to question the power structures hidden within everyday language. Rather than focusing on physical violence, the work addresses the psychological weight of silence and obedience, revealing how inherited expectations can shape identity across generations.
By combining text with the reproducible nature of printmaking, this piece reflects on how cultural narratives are passed down, preserved, and challenged. It asks viewers to consider whose voices have been silenced, and what it means to reclaim them.
This print is made by first taking a digital drawing composed of hand drawn and found elements, and then laser engraving them into wood which then is turned into a hand printed relief print. Check out my instagram to see some of the process!
This print is an artist proof- there a limited remaining!
Size- 16 inches x 20 inches