I self-identify as a transgender woman and as an artist I use images of strong and older women to expose the painful discrepancy between social expectations and the physical reality of changing and growing old as a woman. At the same time, the works allows me to imagine my own future as I move closer to my female body. These expressive large-format portraits explore the long psychological and emotional journey I have taken and the implications of this momentous change of transitioning from a man to a woman.
My drawings, which measure three meters tall and up to four and half meters wide, are mostly composites of older women I have observed during my years in Germany, where I currently reside. The images depict women I have seen on the street, including those who have undergone sex changes, and are derived from both imaginary figures and aspects of my own self-portraits. Part of my drawings are also inspired by interviews and talks with transgender woman. The works are both outward critiques of societal norms and introspective explorations of my own fears, anxiety and deliberations regarding what is feminine and what it means to be a woman.
- Website
- www.roeyheifetz.com
- roeyvictoriaheifetz
