This was the first painting to spark Hysteria that I finished in 2020. It references a painting by Klimt depicting the story of Danae, in the moment when Zeus, disguised as gold dust, rapes and impregnates her. Through Klimt's gaze, this story became erotic, providing the artist and the viewer an excuse to gaze at the intensely vulnerable form of a naked woman and label it as high art. The lack of interest in Danae's consent always disturbed me. It never registered as important or relevant to the poets and artists who likewise explored this subject.

I aimed to grant this nude autonomy through the performance of sitting for the painting myself. In my work, she is not merely a subject but also the artist, who opens her eyes—closed in Klimt's painting—to engage with the viewer. I emphasized the fetus-shaped contour of her form to explore both the vulnerability of nudity and the empowerment it entails as she creates her own representation, birthing it. The shifting blue surrounding her mirrors the swirling color of her eyes, so the structure of the painting reinforces the shape and power of her gaze. I left copper bare around her form, capturing the viewer’s gaze in turn whenever they see themselves observing her.