The Fact of Being. An exhibition by Fiona Aldighieri.

July 21 - September 15, 2021Crutchfield Gallery


This series is a collection of portraits of young queer women in the Upstate of South Carolina. The background for each image is a floral fabric, chosen by the subject, representing the domestic and traditional roles that women have historically been expected to accept, expectations that still exist today. Queer women defy these domestic roles because their very identity goes against society’s expectations. Each woman standing in front of the fabric wears a shirt that ties them to the background. I see this as an acknowledgement of domestic roles, but also as a challenge. Women can be whoever they want and still be valid. As a young queer woman, I have always struggled with my identity as a woman and the expectations society already had in place for me. Not only as a woman, but as a queer woman it takes time to discover your identity and be comfortable in your own skin. This work is a celebration of queer women. In each image, the subject is looking directly into the camera lens, their gaze forcing the viewer to acknowledge them. Even with the overwhelming amount of support LGBTQ+ have today in the United States, it can be a difficult place to be yourself. I hope that these images serve as a representation for queer women.



Cheyenne by Fiona Aldighieri. Pigment Print, 2021.
Cheyenne, Pigment Print, 2021
Fiona by Fiona Aldighieri. Pigment Print, 2021.
Fiona, Pigment Print, 2021
Kierra by Fiona Aldighieri. Pigment Print, 2021.
Kierra, Pigment Print, 2021