All Posts

Composite beauty standards once existed as exaggeration and critique. They were used to expose how contradictory and unrealistic expectations could be when layered onto a single body. Over time, however, these composites stopped functioning as satire and began to operate as templates. Composite beauty standards became normalized through repetition and scale. Digital platforms amplified certain features while flattening others, gradually producing a unified aesthetic that feel

Algorithmic beauty filters are often framed as harmless or playful tools, yet they reveal how deeply technology shapes identity. These filters present a version of the self that feels approachable and achievable, while quietly reinforcing narrow standards of appearance and behavior. They invite participation, not resistance, making conformity feel like choice. This work explores algorithmic beauty filters as a cultural lens rather than a cosmetic feature. By focusing on aesth

Algorithmic beauty standards increasingly shape how faces and bodies are presented online. Filters, editing tools, and AI driven aesthetics smooth, flatten, and standardize appearance according to narrow visual preferences. These systems reward sameness and familiarity, quietly redefining what is considered normal, attractive, or acceptable. As algorithmic beauty standards take control of the surface, meaning begins to migrate elsewhere. This work focuses on the elements tech

Social media addiction did not emerge by accident. It follows a long history of industries built on compulsion. Tobacco companies once engineered products around dependency while publicly minimizing harm. Social platforms adopted similar strategies, replacing chemicals with behavioral design. Social media addiction thrives on reward loops, uncertainty, and repetition. Likes, notifications, infinite scroll, and algorithmic timing create feedback systems that keep users engaged

AI portrait meaning is often assumed to reside in facial likeness, yet algorithmic tools increasingly flatten expression through smoothing and standardization. As faces are optimized to meet computational preferences, individuality risks being reduced to surface level similarity. This work redirects attention to where AI portrait meaning survives. When algorithms alter faces, other elements remain largely untouched. Clothing, objects, surroundings, and relationships become ca

Digital portraiture culture reflects the intersection of technology and desire. Throughout history, portraiture has shown not only what was technically possible but also how people wished to be perceived. From idealized royal images to requests for visible imperfection, portraits have always negotiated truth and aspiration. Today, digital portraiture culture is shaped by filters and editing tools that prioritize smoothness, symmetry, and conformity. These technologies reveal

Algorithmic identity increasingly defines how people are seen online. Digital tools smooth, beautify, and standardize faces according to narrow aesthetic rules that reward sameness. As these systems reshape appearance, individuality risks being flattened into a familiar template. This work focuses on what algorithmic identity cannot fully control. When faces are edited and optimized, meaning moves into other elements. Clothing, objects, environments, and relationships begin t

Tech culture masculinity has long been associated with innovation, intelligence, and productivity. Increasingly, however, appearance has entered the equation. In environments shaped by screens, metrics, and algorithmic feedback, youth is treated as a signal of relevance while aging is framed as obsolescence. This shift reveals how tech culture masculinity is being redefined. Algorithms reward speed, novelty, and visual polish, creating pressure to look adaptable as well as pe

Algorithmic beauty systems shape how faces and bodies are presented across digital platforms. These tools smooth, standardize, and optimize appearance according to narrow visual preferences that reward familiarity and sameness. Over time, these systems establish aesthetic norms that feel neutral even though they are engineered. This work focuses on what algorithmic beauty systems leave behind. While facial features are adjusted and flattened, other elements remain intact. Clo

Digital beauty systems  increasingly define how faces and bodies are perceived across platforms. Filters, editing tools, and algorithmic preferences quietly establish visual norms that feel natural, even inevitable. These systems shape what is seen as acceptable, desirable, or correct, often without revealing the mechanisms behind them. This work focuses on making digital beauty systems  visible. By exposing how modification tools smooth, standardize, and homogenize appearanc

Art patronage history  has never been driven by safety or consensus. Many of the artists now regarded as essential to cultural memory were once controversial, difficult, or widely misunderstood. Throughout history, it has been the willingness of patrons to support radical ideas that determined which works survived long enough to shape the canon. Patronage has always functioned as a form of cultural authorship. The Sainsbury family’s support of Francis Bacon illustrates how ar

The contemporary family portrait  reflects more than lineage or resemblance. It captures how identity, relationships, and values are shaped by the cultural conditions of its time. While traditional family portraits emphasized likeness and hierarchy, contemporary approaches explore symbolism, collaboration, and context as equally meaningful elements. In this project, the contemporary family portrait  becomes a shared construction rather than a fixed image. Clothing, objects, e

The idea of universal beauty in contemporary art  is not formed in isolation. It develops through conversations between artists, curators, writers, and platforms that question how aesthetics are shaped by culture and technology. Dialogues like this one create space to examine how beauty is defined, challenged, and reimagined in a rapidly changing visual landscape. As digital tools and platforms influence how images circulate, discussions around universal beauty in contemporar

Commissioned art history  is not a relic of the past. It is one of the primary ways culture has decided what deserves to last. From royal portraits to contemporary digital works, commissions have consistently shaped how societies record power, identity, and memory. Rather than limiting artists, commissioning has often given them the resources and context needed to produce work that defines an era. Throughout commissioned art history , patrons have played a crucial role in all

The concept of universal beauty  suggests that there is a single aesthetic standard shared across cultures, histories, and identities. Yet beauty has always been shaped by shifting forces such as technology, power, and cultural influence. What one society views as ideal may carry completely different meaning elsewhere. The idea of universal beauty  becomes even more complicated in the age of algorithms, where digital tools repeat and amplify narrow visual patterns that flatte

The tradition of commissioned art  has defined cultural history for centuries, from aristocratic portraits to groundbreaking contemporary works. Today, that legacy continues in new forms. This project extends the lineage of commissioned portraiture while engaging directly with the influence of AI on identity. Although AI alters the face and body by smoothing, beautifying, and standardizing features, it leaves the meaningful elements untouched. Clothing, objects, jewelry, anim

Throughout history, commissioned art  has played a defining role in shaping how societies see themselves and how future generations understand the past. From royal portraits to civic monuments, the partnership between artist and patron has influenced what becomes iconic, what is preserved, and what stories are elevated. Rather than limiting creativity, commissioned art  often expands it by placing artists inside moments of political, cultural, or personal significance. In con

Inclusive art is reshaping how beauty is understood and experienced. Instead of relying on narrow ideals, contemporary artists are embracing authenticity, representation, and the reality of diverse bodies. This shift highlights how inclusive art  creates space for people to feel seen and valued in their own skin. When art reflects real textures, identities, and lived experiences, it becomes more emotionally resonant and culturally relevant. Gretchen Andrew’s work emphasizes h

The power of imperfection  has become a defining force in contemporary and conceptual art. Rather than viewing flaws as problems to fix, artists are treating imperfection as a source of creative energy. It opens space for experimentation, emotional honesty, and unexpected meaning. When the work is allowed to remain unpolished, new ideas emerge that would never appear inside a rigid search for perfection. Gretchen Andrew’s practice illustrates how the power of imperfection  su

“Follow if you’re tired of algorithms telling you what beauty looks like.” This sentiment sits at the heart of the Facetune Portraits . Portraiture was once a deeply human act — a collaboration between sitter and artist, an attempt to understand individuality and record identity. A look at how the Facetune Portraits  confront the growing power of algorithms to shape beauty and identity. Over centuries, portraits reflected shifting cultural ideals, but they were still grounded