A conceptual series created using AI-generated imagery, exploring the deep cultural discomfort with women aging. Drawing on the iconic figure of Barbie - an emblem of unattainable beauty and eternal youth— the project imagines a reality in which she, like all women, is allowed to grow old.

The work responds to the increasingly visible pressures placed on girls and women to resist aging at all costs. In the UK, dermatologists report that children as young as ten are asking for anti-aging products—a reflection of the so-called “Sephora kids” trend that has emerged through social media. This series poses a simple but provocative question: What happens when a symbol of perfection dares to age?

In mainstream culture, aging is positioned as a woman’s downfall — a loss of beauty, desirability, and reproductive value. Through these uncanny yet eerily familiar AI renderings, the project challenges that narrative and confronts the viewer with their own biases. If these images feel uncomfortable, it’s worth asking: why?

Rather than mourn youth, the series reframes aging as a site of power. With age often comes clarity, irreverence, and strength—qualities that challenge the systems invested in keeping women small and silent. Created at age 37, the artist embraces her own visibility and rejects the notion that looking one’s age is something to be ashamed of. In doing so, she calls for a shift in how we perceive beauty, value, and time.