Dusk to Dawn
WOMAN.MONSTER
Lora Nankivell
About the work
WOMAN. MONSTER by Lora Nankivell is a durational, one-shot performance in which the artist immerses herself in a foundation-like mixture of oats, turmeric, and hibiscus. Inspired by Irish myths—including the Hag of Beara and the Madness of Mis—as well as horror films made by women such as The Substance, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and Kitchen Sink, the work investigates the feminine in horror and the shifting perception of the body.
Filmed in a single, uninterrupted take lasting nearly 40 minutes, the performance captures a process that moves between meditation and discomfort, as the mixture irritates and transforms the body. The work reflects on body dysmorphia and the fluidity of self-perception: the way one’s own appearance shifts between mirrors, screens, and others’ observations or treatment.
Nankivell exercises agency across every aspect of the piece: she created the materials, chose the camera and lens, and determined the duration of her engagement. WOMAN. MONSTER is an intimate investigation of embodiment, self-image, and the complex relationship between the personal and the mythic.
