Bearded Lady
2024 | 14” x 18” | Lithography Print
This lithography print of a bearded lady captures the mystique and complexity of a figure often emblematic of circus culture and its fascination with the extraordinary. The bearded lady, historically a staple of sideshow acts, challenges conventional notions of gender presentation and societal norms. Her image disrupts the binary expectations of femininity by blending traits culturally coded as both masculine and feminine, making her a symbol of both spectacle and defiance. In the context of the circus, where performers were often celebrated for their uniqueness yet commodified for entertainment, the bearded lady embodies the tension between agency and objectification. This print seeks to explore those dynamics, honoring her individuality while critiquing the ways her difference was both exploited and celebrated within the liminal, performative space of the circus.