40-120 year old woman - apply as a model 🩷!

Why does society obsessively idealize youth?

Wrinkles are a NATURAL part of us - they are signs of wisdom, strength and life. Yet we hide, discard and shame them. Why?

One reason is patriarchy, where women's value is too often determined by youth and appearance, not so much by experience, life's work or own achievements.

The idealization of youth is not just a matter of beauty – it is also about the use of power. It forces women to strive for impossible appearance standards instead of accepting and appreciating ourselves for who we are.

Women are pressured to hide all signs of aging - as if wrinkles make us less valuable. At the same time, an aging man is perhaps even more appreciated. This double moralism is one way to control women's status and appearance.

Instead of measuring women's value based on experience and intelligence, it is too often based on looks, smooth skin and youth.

But what if we started seeing wrinkles in a new way? What if we celebrated aging as a sign of growth and wisdom instead of being ashamed of it?

I believe that if we learn to accept aging and reject prevailing appearance pressures, we will not only change our concepts of beauty, but challenge the structures that try to define them for us.

Of course, this is easier said than done, and that's why my next art project tackles exactly this problem.

I am looking for 40-120 year old women 🩷 as models for paintings. If you are interested, send an email.

With love

Anna Mikaela

Image source: ©Canva - Oneinchpunch / Cristian Negroni