Content Note: This artwork addresses experiences of abuse and survival, which may be difficult for some viewers.

This painting shares the personal story of Kirah and centers on reclaiming autonomy, identity, and self-definition after trauma.

As a teenager, Kirah experienced a profound violation that altered her sense of safety and control. Rather than allowing this experience to define or silence her, the painting portrays a moment of confrontation and release. Kirah meets the viewer’s gaze directly, asserting presence and strength. The act of cutting through film symbolizes severing the hold of the past and reclaiming authorship over her own image and narrative.

Today, Kirah is a professional model who has chosen to continue working with film and photography on her own terms. By doing so, she transforms a medium once associated with harm into one of empowerment, refusing stigma and embracing her passion with courage.

The use of chiaroscuro, the strong contrast between light and shadow, which reflects the belief that a woman’s full humanity exists in both her darkness and her light. This work challenges traditional portrayals of the female nude as either objectified or idealized, instead presenting a subject grounded in lived experience. Women’s personal histories are often minimized or erased; this piece insists that beauty is inseparable from truth, depth, and resilience.

The wood foreground reinforces the raw, unfiltered nature of the story being told, grounding the work in honesty and material strength.