It’s Not For You is a mixed-media series that investigates female agency and the "male gaze." Through adornment—stiletto heels, lipstick, and fragrance—the work explores self-actualization: how the very rituals of confidence often double as external projection. While these accessories are frequently dismissed as performative for the observer, It’s Not For You reclaims them as tools of personal command. The stiletto is reimagined not as a lure, but as a facilitator of "physical and mental height," despite the structural discomfort designed by a masculine history. Similarly, the application of red lipstick and the invisible aura of perfume are presented as personal rather than invitations. The subjects within this series exist in a state of defiant allure; they do not seek to repel the Gaze, but rather to exist independently of its ownership. Adornment here is an act that refuses to be translated into external approval.
Eva Engel, It’s Not For You, Heel Edition, Oil paint & Heavy Damar Medium, 24”x 36”, 2025
Eva Engel, It’s Not For You, Perfume Edition, Oil paint, Molding Paste & Canvas Infused With Burberry Goddess Perfume, 22”x 28”, 2025
Eva Engel, It’s Not For You, Lipstick Impression Edition, Oil paint and Molding Paste, 28”x 22”, 2025
Eva Engel, Heel Silhouette, digital photography, 2025