'At First Glance' -

With this piece, I sought to capture a fleeting moment—a split second in time where something as subtle as a glance, a reaction, or a chance encounter becomes frozen, suspended in permanence. It is in this stillness that the moment gains power and poignancy, becoming more beautiful as time distances us from it. My inspiration stemmed from the works of renowned reportage photographers such as Gordon Parks, Rosalind Fox Solomon, and my dad, Dennis Morris. I’ve always been drawn to how they transform seemingly ordinary moments into arresting visuals—images that grow in emotional resonance with time, evolving into portals to another era.

A central intention behind this work was to shift the viewer’s gaze—to place the focus not on the mannequin, a symbol of manufactured beauty, but on the girl in the window. In doing so, I wanted to challenge traditional ideals of beauty. Growing up, I rarely saw representations that reflected my identity. The societal standards I was exposed to—whether in magazines, shopfronts, or toys—often celebrated only one narrow definition of beauty, leaving many of us, especially young women of colour, feeling unseen or inadequate.

Like many others, I struggled with self-acceptance, constantly feeling pressured to alter myself in order to fit these imposed ideals. This painting is both a personal reflection and a quiet act of defiance—centering a kind of beauty that is authentic, nuanced, and long overlooked. While I do believe progress has been made in expanding our collective understanding of beauty, there is still work to be done. Through this piece, I hope to contribute to that ongoing dialogue.