Tiffany Dugan
Pink Praying Mantis, 2024
Collage
24x18 inches
 
"Pink Praying Mantis" is a collage from a series of work that considers lesbian identity beyond the physical body. By excluding images of the body, the work explores the core elements of self. The layered composition combines color and abstract forms to evoke a cyclical ebb and flow, revealing the tension between softness and edge of individual experience. "Pink Praying Mantis" includes images of the female orchid mantis, which evolved to resemble flowers not to attract mates but to catch prey. In this way, the work reframes the purpose of presentation as a source of personal power and survival.