Alyssa Wood

Alyssa Wood is a 27-year-old multimedium artist currently pursuing her MFA in photography at the University of Miami, where she also received a B.A. in biology. Originally from a rural area outside of Nashville, Tennessee, Alyssa moved to Miami in 2016 to study biology on a scholarship to the University of Miami. Combining her interest in the natural world and her experiences growing up as a young feminist woman in the southern United States, her work has been described as anarchic in nature and explores the body as a subject, focusing on aspects such as sexuality and death.

Through my imagery, I strive to uncover the layers of expectations, stereotypes, and societal pressures that shape the experiences of those who identify within feminine spectrum. Femininity, a construct deeply embedded in our cultural fabric, has played a significant role in defining and limiting the lives of individuals across time and space. My art aims to peel back the layers of this construct, exposing the illusions and inviting viewers to question the limitations it imposes on personal freedom, expression, and empowerment. I use roadkill that I have sewn into taxidermy as representations of the human form to open discussions about feminist politics of the body. I take these creatures apart and sew them back together, forcing them to perform different roles in still life images or stop motion clips. I create a parallel between my work and the way people who are assigned women at birth are forced to mold themselves and adhere to set roles that society has carved out for them. I explore the multifaceted dimensions of feminine gender performance. I challenge traditional notions of femininity, dismantling the binaries that confine and restrict our understanding of what it means to be feminine. Through symbolism, metaphor, and the power of imagery, I invite viewers to critically examine the prescribed roles, expectations, and narratives surrounding femininity.

To contact Alyssa please email alyssa.wood.arts@gmail.com