Sculpture - Laura Jaramillo

In this project I combined an idealized female torso with mashrabiya (Arabic term given to a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework). Mashrabiya has the affect of bending the light in such a way that whoever is inside can see out- but those outside cannot see within. Mashrabiya was traditionally used to "protect" the women in the house. Keeping them out of sight from society as to not tempt evil. As a girl growing up in Egypt I felt that many aspects of being a woman in society felt mirrored by the architecture of concealment and enclosure. By covering the the female torso in mashrabiya I create a portal to the untouchable interior from a distance impossible to see, however as you move closer and stare at the figure the viewer discovers that the sculpture is staring back- making one aware of what's trapped inside. 

In my experience it is not just architecture that confines us, but the female bodied we inhabit.