JENNIFER PETERS
Ambiguity
September 27, 2025. - Sheep River, Foothills County, AB.
Discarded Beige Paint, Studio Ladder, Artist, Swim Cap, Nature
Brushed Aluminum Box Canvas - (Ltd. Ed. I of III)
$1500
There is such beauty in the imperfections of the human figure; a woman’s curves, leg hair, dirt, rolls, lines, scars. I have given birth to five children, including a set of twins and am covered in scars. I used to hide these scars beneath long sleeves, concealing my body in layer after layer of clothing. I hid my smile, was painfully shy and spoke with a lisp. My teeth were permanently stained and my right foot has been rebuilt using a stranger’s donated bones, metal pins and a plate. I have sprained my spine, dislocated my fingers and nearly died two times in studio when a massive board gave way and smashed into my head. I was unable to repair my massive overbite without breaking my jaw, so it permanently forces out my bottom lip.
And yet I am no longer ashamed; the body is not dirty, it is natural and it is a travesty that so many women carry deep shame surrounding their beautiful curves. The female form needs to be embraced as a source of strength and beauty, rather than objectified through pornography or a mistaken striving to conform and restrict the female form to what is considered “beautiful” by society.
Do not erase your beautiful lines, for they are individual marks on your original canvas. A legacy of pain can become a source of stunning beauty.