Women’s confidence is constantly targeted to the point where shame has become part of their essence. Their bodies are judged, and as such, they choose to hide behind a mask or armor, which hides their feelings of insecurity and imperfection.
Clare Elsaesser’s paintings reflect on the feeling of choosing to hide one’s face behind objects in order to feel protected against accusations regarding beauty.
By understanding the female soul, she uses pastels and delicate objects to create a balance of body and emotion. Flowers are a recurring element she uses to hide the faces of the protagonists of her paintings.
This makes the viewer know that beneath that beautiful flower there is another natural beauty hiding in order to not be damaged by strong winds of the past that smell of ignorance and disdain.
Despite their curvy bodies that inspire those who see them, they’re forced to shield their faces from viewers who will not think twice of stabbing them with hurtful words.
Her paintings are of a delicate esthetic. Female bodies that are almost perfect, with faces that are always turned away from our sight. Contrasting what seems perfect with what is tarnished by a negative sentiment makes her work be charged with social critique.
Women are constantly prisoners of gossip and criticism from society; regardless of what they do, they will be talked about. So it seems that some feel the need to hide from others’ opinions.
The soul is imprisoned by a mask of shame, and it seeks to be freed. It escapes during moments of darkness and shows its splendor. It’s in those instances when women feel release and gain the strength to continue. But it won’t be long before she is victimized once again by a spiteful comment that will have her hiding in her shell.
Clare Elsaesser asks, “what is the softest most delicate thing in the world?” Her answer is a woman. Yet she dares not present the faces of her peers and searches for the metaphor to denounce what it means to live in this society.