The Colour I feel Inside

The artwork explores the journey of identity through a visual and textual narrative, tracing the transition from oppression to acceptance. The ethereal figure, wrapped in deep red and floral motifs, evokes the conflict between identity and societal constraints: the partially concealed face and the lace pattern hint at a fragile, perhaps idealized, femininity. Printed on silver-toned metallic paper, it contrasts with the sacredness of gold, marking the shift from devaluation to the rediscovery of one’s own worth.

The red and blue squares, enclosed by golden borders, suggest tensions between masculine and feminine, warmth and coldness, interior and exterior. Gold, now dominant, is no longer an imposed boundary but a recognition of identity in its wholeness—complex and indivisible. The handwritten text reflects on social expectations and the search for authenticity. The concluding phrase is an invitation to live without imposed limits, with pride and awareness.

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This is a CARESS for my teenage self.
How hard you’re trying to look and act the way society expects you to. They told you that you’re a boy, so you must constantly watch your tone of voice, avoid sitting a certain way, and never say anything that might make you seem weak. The categorical imperative was: “Act like a man! The feminine is weakness, and your peers will target you!”

I know well that sometimes you’ll feel an emptiness and won’t understand why you’re uncomfortable with your body, your instincts, your emotions. But, I promise you, the day will come when you’ll embrace the feminine without fear, without limits, without rules.

You’ll look in the mirror and say to yourself: “I am becoming what I have always been.”
Because we deserve it.

Paolo, 28 years old, non-binary person

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