In 2016 as part of her graduate exhibition, Ciara created the body of work known as Imperfect Bodies. The works are formed from thick layers household of paint, which are moulded, stitched and glued into a desired shape, resulting in an artwork that is not quite a painting but not quite a sculpture. Through her final year research, the artist came to understand that women are often pressured to look a certain way, partially due to how the female body has been treated throughout art history: nude women are more commonly depicted by men and presented in an unrealistic manner, where body parts and genitals that are considered too graphic are not visible. What has been deemed “appropriate” in relation to depictions of the female nude has almost entirely been decided by male artists, thus denying women the ability to control how they are represented within the fine art world. Through her work, the artist combines these anxieties to themes of reproductive rights and body politics, documenting the concerns around the repealing of the eight amendment. The marrying of these themes concludes that women have limited control of their body, both in terms of bodily representation and bodily autonomy.
This body of work was originally exhibited in 2016 in NCAD as part of the graduate showcase. Later that year it was shown in Berlin, Germany at the Agora Rollberg. It is on display in Garter Lane Arts Centre, Co. Waterford from 25th August – October 24th 2020.
