Artist Statement (for display): RAW asked participants to defy patriarchal norms of beauty by presenting their unfiltered versions. The portraits challenge us to sit with the discomfort of complexity, which is not considered traditionally beautiful or valued in women, and provide an opportunity to reflect on and redefine beauty.

Artist Bio: Judy Lee is a Narrative Artist working in digital photography to explore the experiences of being in female and BIPOC bodies. Through photography, video interviews, and writing, her projects aim to give voice and visibility to those who have experienced marginalization or displacement from themselves and society.

Judy’s artistic practice began with her personal journey of self-exploration, after a lifetime of hiding, where she learned to face herself and worked through the pain and discomfort of the self-reflection process. She integrated this approach into her work to create a therapeutic portrait process designed to guide women identifying subjects through self-reflection and acceptance. With an academic background in Sociology specializing in race, class, and gender inequality, she eventually integrated her understanding of societal level systems of oppression to the vulnerable and personal experiences of individuals to create the work she does today. Her intention is to facilitate positive social change by bridging the empathy gap by connecting societal systems to the vulnerable stories of marginalized people’s lived experiences.