Adolescence is a time for identity play, a time to try on various masks in the journey toward self-discovery and adulthood. Through our imaginations we perceive endless possibilities, but slowly awaken to the realities of resistance. For some, racial and gender barriers may become more evident, and dreams begin to give way to doubts.
Adolescence is often a period of insecurity and alienation. For girls in particular, identities are formed around the opinions of others. As a result, their behaviors are dictated by external perceptions rather than internal desires.
In addition to home and academic pressures, societal pressures can heighten anxiety to never-before experienced levels. Goals become compromised and achievements seem less accessible.
In this project, over a span of nine years, I have explored the physical and emotional changes that accompany this phase of a girl’s life in America. My focus has been on my youngest sister and cousin. I hope to have captured the simple moments in her search for her own identity as it becomes publicly displayed—at a dance recital or simply by the way she looks at herself in the mirror—and then subsequently informs the various traits that are either incorporated or discarded on the way to becoming an adult. It is these moments where we quietly witness the delicate transition from girlhood to womanhood.
