Every woman has a different answer to the question, “How did I become the woman I am today?” For many of us, this question is so complex it probably couldn’t be answered in under a thousand words. Luckily for us, a picture is worth at least that much. Awe-inspiring and prolific photographer Justine Kurland once told me, “Every woman artist must go through a phase of self-portraiture at some point in her life.” I agree; the way our bodies and souls change as we enter womanhood is personal, precious, and unforgettable.
People say that life is hardest for adolescent girls, and I’m inclined to agree. In these years, you begin to sculpt your future, to determine your identity as a woman. So often transgender women get overlooked in discussions on emerging womanhood, but their paths are just as complex, unique, beautiful as those of cis-women.
In photographer Charlie White’s project entitled “Teen and Transgender Comparative Study,” similarities emerge between different types of transitions into womanhood. White beautifully captures raw images of teen girls and transgender women and places them side by side. There are shocking similarities between the women and girls, from their facial structure to their apparent personalities and deepest thoughts. White explains the personal passion he held for the project, “the intersection between girls transforming through the biological patterns, and transgender through chemical and surgical processes became very important to me.” In a chat with The Huffington Post, White suggests that in combining the teens and the transwomen, he was able to capture something about womanhood that was missing from each group individually.
Becoming a woman is hard for anyone, and it is also so magical and rewarding, and White’s work captures it magnificently. Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments.
Thanks to The Huffington Post and Feature Shoot
Photos via Feature Shoot
