Hit Like a Girl

This piece is about strength—specifically the kind that doesn’t always get recognized for what it is. Boxing gloves are built for impact. They carry ideas of endurance, discipline, and survival. But instead of painting them in the expected reds and blacks, I pushed them into a Tiffany blue/teal palette and layered them with a floral pattern—visual language that’s often tied to femininity, softness, and beauty. That contrast is intentional. For a long time, strength has been defined in a narrow way—loud, aggressive, unyielding. But women have always embodied a different kind of strength. One that holds pressure instead of just releasing it. One that adapts, nurtures, rebuilds, and still stands ready when it’s time to fight. These gloves don’t reject femininity to be taken seriously. They carry it into the fight. The floral pattern doesn’t weaken them—it becomes part of the armor. The color doesn’t soften the purpose—it expands what strength is allowed to look like. There’s resilience in grace, power in care, and a kind of toughness that doesn’t need to announce itself to be real. This piece is about that quiet, undeniable force— the strength of women that exists whether it’s acknowledged or not. 8x10 Acrylic and Ink on Canvas