"Rather Than Look Back, She Chose To Look At You" by Toyin Ojih Odutola

 

1. Artist: Toyin Ojih Odutola

2. Title: Rather Than Look Back, She Chose To Look At You

3. Medium: Ballpoint pen, marker, and pencil on paper

4. Size: 65 x 36"

5. Discussion: Although this woman stands with a beautifully curvy body that we have seen in art before, she also is a woman of color with hair that is bleached, mimicking the grass below her. She stares right at you and, as the title says, she is not looking back. This stood out to me as a representation of accountability. It is not the response of blaming the past for why we have an established feminine mold, but to rather encouraging the viewer to look introspectively. Additionally, I like how the artist combined the beauty of the female body with nature. This almost unconsciously creates the connection between the divinity of nature with the female body. Therefore, this piece establishes a beauty outside the traditional mold of media.