She Exists — Beyond the Ideal

Jiho Lee

https://www.instagram.com/oscarcamera.27?igsh=Z3Izam10bGloOWJ5&utm_source=qr

aldajiho@gmail.com

Each of the seven women in the photographs endures societal gaze and prejudice in her way. I have embodied these women with parts of my own identity as a Korean woman currently studying in the UK. Through cosplay and performance, I transformed into different versions of Korean women, both stereotypical and those shaped by media. By briefly stepping into their lives, I created self-portraits that reflect and question these identities. Growing up, I felt pressure to conform to the “ideal woman”: someone quiet, small-faced, pale-skinned, and feminine. This project presents multiple versions of myself—the ideal, the one who resists, and the one who simply exists. I also roleplayed versions of myself I was once afraid to express, asking: “Which one is ideal?” This work critiques the societal expectations placed on Korean women and highlights how deeply beauty standards and gender roles shape identity. It ultimately celebrates the freedom to exist beyond those limiting ideals.