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This project invites reflection on aesthetic violence and the pressure many women face to maintain a youthful appearance and conform to current beauty standards. The installation consists of 33 replicas of cosmetic containers, each repeating and deconstructing the same image. Hidden among fragments of self-portraits are phrases written in Chinese referring to procedures associated with cosmetic surgery, such as “stretch here,” “not beautiful enough,” and “cut this part.” The choice of language stems from the fact that the work was created during a residency in Foshan (China).

These elements are inspired by the American television series Nip/Tuck, in which the physical appearance of most female characters is constantly and relentlessly scrutinised. The male protagonists, who run a cosmetic surgery clinic, are repeatedly presented as saviours, offering to remove whatever is considered “imperfect.” Through this reference, the work highlights the normalisation of unattainable beauty ideals and the mechanisms through which they are perpetuated.