I looked at the smile as an expression that was frequently falsified for the sake of conforming to the roles taken on during interactions, and typical gender constructs. I also found studies online declaring that forcing a smile, by biting down on a pencil, could trick your brain into thinking you are naturally smiling. This spurred a daily photo series that spanned the course of a month. I silkscreened a shirt that reads: ‘DON’T FORGET TO SMILE.’ The shirt would act as my uniform while I worked on this project, symbolizing the constant reminders I receive in my daily life. I would put on the shirt, bite down on a pencil, force a smile, document it, and repeat.
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