I am Woman / I am Ritual

I am Woman / I am Ritual is an ongoing body of works based upon the Mikveh. The Mikveh is a bath of water from a natural source, used as a method of ritually purifying both bodies and objects. There are many uses of the Mikveh and reasons for why someone may need to be ‘purified’. 

 

My interest in the Mikveh stemmed from its use by women, traditionally during menstruation, before marriage, and after childbirth. I was interested in the connotation this had to the ‘cleanliness’ of the female body and the reasons for which a woman might need to become ‘purified’ more often than a man. For me, being a woman is an intrinsically ritualistic experience. In these works I explore this while redefining the mikveh for my own purpose.