From prehistoric fertility goddesses,  such as the Venus of Willendorf, to classical antiquity, the female nude form evolved beyond symbolic representation to aesthetic ideal. The pivotal shift in ancient Greek representation from the clothed female body toward the erotic nude forgrounded broader tensions between aesthetic expression, gender politics, and moral discourse. Where does the nude female figure reside in art's contemporary context and how is it changing?

My journey with the female nude began as an academic, anatomical analysis of shape and muscular form, an empirical study of nature and identity of the resonate self.  Each nude torso carved emerged from the natural shape of the stone, rather than an idealization of the "perfect body". My experience as an attendant for a clothing optional healing center further solidified emotional resonace with the idea of the female nude as an allegory of truth- the naked truth of raw material existance. Within peaceful coexistence, the state of nudity became an expression of free agency used to cleanse the spirit and subvert over sexuality in contemporary culture. The symbolic image of the nude figure continued to gain importance in my work as an image of strength and healing through my mother's journey with breast cancer; I began to make female nude sculptures with fragmented breasts as a result. 

In my 2025 collection, Medusa Monroe, I confronted the commercialization and the polarized view of the female body in a visual discourse on 'the male gaze'. It became apparent that the missing body of the Medusa, fragmented from her head, could be represented by the headless, nude female torso. This concept aligned my work with the feminist reclaimation of the classical figure with in the objective liberation of female sexual agency. However, the undermining eroticism of projected sexuality stemming from media depictions of the female body designed for male consumption subjects the form to duality. 

The psycho-sexual awareness of the advantage of the female body in its ability to carry life to fruition as a mother is what gives the form power. Thus, the female nude body is an expression of power within sexual unity. As a female artist, I believe the nude female torso can represent the harmony of life and feminine depictions of the form will aid in the political restructuring of its observance. Ultimately, the torso is where the heart resides and carving the motif of the female nude is an act of love and personal passion.