Must Be Beautiful Print

"Must Be Beautiful" is a mixed media collage I created three weeks ago, inspired by the old tradition of Chinese Footbinding. Foot binding was the custom of applying tight binding to the feet of young girls to modify the shape and size of their feet. Bound feet were at one time considered a status symbol as well as a mark of beauty. Yet, foot binding was a painful practice that significantly limited the mobility of women, resulting in lifelong disabilities. Footbinding rendered women dependent on their families, particularly their men, as they became restricted mainly to their homes. "Must Be Beautiful" is part of a collection of new works on fashion/cultural appropriation and assimilation.