"Ms. Velvet"

Ms. Velvet is a stuffed hybrid between a spider and a red velvet cake. She is the an extension on a series of works inspired by philologist Caitlin Hines’s “Women as Dessert Metaphor” called "Sugar Babies." She acts as a visual commentary on the male gaze and the sexualization of women in modern society. Historically, women have often been both consciously and unconsciously associated with dessert. Both on a domestic and a sexual level, the feminine identity has been interlaced with the idea of the “sweet” often perpetuating the sexualization of our bodies. Desserts, much like stereotypes regarding women, are considered frivolous and embody “temptation” or “seduction.” I chose the spider as it is also embedded with deep feminine iconography that touches on themes such as power, sex, and the forbidden. "Ms. Velvet" weaves these contrasting associations into a single form, challenging societal perceptions of femininity, sexuality, and power.