Abstract
The purpose of this art-based research study is to understand the commonalties that humans share when it comes to the topic of body image. The ways in which people see themselves and present themselves to the world is a shared experience. The personal issues and concerns related to bodies can feel like an intimate or private battle. By bringing to the surface issues that people mentally think, these interviews and art pieces are meant to get anyone to stop and understand the universal impact of body image. Through this series of artwork, as representative of diverse portraits, I aim to open a space for dialog to help people interrogate their pre-conceptions regarding body image and understand that pressures to be perfect are shared, unrealistic, and do not define human worth.