I’m so Fragile and Delicate, Please be Gentle with Me or I Might Break

by Charlotte Rose

Charlotte paints hyper-feminine, pastel pink self-portraits that explore evolving attitudes towards feminism, femininity and female sexuality. The work seeks to subvert the male gaze and challenge conventional representations of women in art.

‘I’m so Fragile and Delicate, Please be Gentle with Me or I Might Break’ is a response to fragile femininity and its link with the male gaze.

Fragile femininity is a term that is used to describe an aesthetic that relies heavily on attracting male validation and approval. In character, women could have a compliant attitude, choosing to appear as the inferior in the presence of a masculine identifying person. This includes the teachings of damaging behaviours and misogynistic views, such as demonising untypical forms of femininity.

‘I’ll Have the Sirloin Steak and She’ll Just Have a Salad’ explores feminine relationships with food and diets. Whilst in ’31 Ways to Act More Feminine and Look More Attractive’ we investigate 2000s fashion magazine advice, topics typically catering to male wants and needs.

Satire and playfulness was a very important factor during the very beginnings of these two oil paintings. Using oversaturated colours and eclectic objects to decorate the scenes, these works take on an unserious approach to the subject matter. Its fine details hope to draw the eyes in order to forget about it’s not-of-this-world backdrop and focus on its smaller elements.”

I’m so Fragile and Delicate, Please be Gentle with Me or I Might Break is on display in the windows of the Hidden Wardrobe from Friday 8th September until Sunday 15th October and is free to visit.

You can also join us for a special ‘Meet the Artist’ event on Friday 8th September from 6pm – 8pm at the Hidden Wardrobe. Tickets are free. Get yours on Eventbrite here.

If you can’t make it to the exhibition, we will be sharing a digital launch over on our YouTube Channel. The video will go live on 8th September from 6pm.