On World Mental Health Day, 10th October, we’ll be donating 100% of profits from the JEMIMASARA x Anthropologie collection to suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS. You can shop the collection here.
“There is so much imagery and art about womxn that society calls ‘beautiful’ yet is extremely damaging and sexist. I want to question the outdated narratives the patriarchy has supplied us with.”
Jemima Sara Hand, artist, designer and founder of JEMIMASARA, is on a mission to challenge the status quo. Her motivation is personal: like many women today, she has experienced the harmful pressure that comes with society’s view of female perfection – be skinnier, be ‘prettier’, be quieter.
Meet the Community:
Jemima Sara Hand
Founder, JEMIMASARA
Jemima’s fightback is visual. Wielding pencil on paper and paint on canvas, the artist pairs celebratory and honest depictions of the naked female body with positive affirmations. “If I could tell my younger self or young womxn today one thing it’s that being ‘perfect’ is an overrated lie. Love, enjoy and have pride in your imperfections – that’s what my art aims to do,” she explains.
In one of these affirmative artworks, a naked woman, sipping from two martini glasses while puffing a cigarette, declares “Darling, self-love is the greatest middle finger of all time.” In another, she encourages the reader, “Take ownership of what’s yours”. Some might question the health implications of Jemima’s portrayal of empowerment, but for her personally “just holding a martini glass, even if it's filled with water, feels empowering.”
In one of these affirmative artworks, a naked woman, sipping from two martini glasses while puffing a cigarette, declares “Darling, self-love is the greatest middle finger of all time.” In another, she encourages the reader, “Take ownership of what’s yours”. Some might question the health implications of Jemima’s portrayal of empowerment, but for her personally “just holding a martini glass, even if it's filled with water, feels empowering.”
The journey to Jemima’s ‘Martini Ladies’ started when she was a teenager facing her own struggles with body positivity. “Growing up I was lucky to have a privileged background yet, in my experience, this meant never expressing myself. I had a very toxic relationship with my body and an eating disorder throughout my teens. I never saw the beauty within the female body, in particular my own,” she shares of that time.
But it was during her time at university studying Puppetry: Performance and Design that her mental health really started to suffer. “Lots of ‘life’ happened during that time which included an earthquake, a burglary, a break-up and a divorce. I felt extremely alone. I felt invisible, as if I was not ‘real’,” Jemima explains of her toughest moments.
As part of her course she was encouraged to draw and journal. Jemima’s doodles soon started manifesting self-loving naked ladies, comfortably expressing their feelings and thoughts, her thoughts and feelings. It was a vehicle for self-expression during a time when she couldn’t vocalise these thoughts.
But it was during her time at university studying Puppetry: Performance and Design that her mental health really started to suffer. “Lots of ‘life’ happened during that time which included an earthquake, a burglary, a break-up and a divorce. I felt extremely alone. I felt invisible, as if I was not ‘real’,” Jemima explains of her toughest moments.
As part of her course she was encouraged to draw and journal. Jemima’s doodles soon started manifesting self-loving naked ladies, comfortably expressing their feelings and thoughts, her thoughts and feelings. It was a vehicle for self-expression during a time when she couldn’t vocalise these thoughts.
“I read that when we start drawing, we are not only visually expressing yourself but we are using both sides of our brain. As our brains become engaged and are filled with dopamine, we become motivated to share our experiences on the paper. Sometimes it can be hard to find words to express what we feel deep down – my creativity from trauma helped me find my own voice. It made me realise that my mental health does not define who I am. I am my own person and so are you.”
Today, Jemima’s Martini Ladies shout their positive affirmations from wall art, greeting cards, clothing and scarves, and she actively shares the powerful affect that drawing can have on a person’s mental health via self-love drawing classes. It was one such class that led to a chance meeting with Anthropologie and the genesis of JEMIMASARA x Anthropologie.
Today, Jemima’s Martini Ladies shout their positive affirmations from wall art, greeting cards, clothing and scarves, and she actively shares the powerful affect that drawing can have on a person’s mental health via self-love drawing classes. It was one such class that led to a chance meeting with Anthropologie and the genesis of JEMIMASARA x Anthropologie.
This World Mental Health Day, 10th October, we’ll be donating all profits from the JEMIMASARA x Anthropologie collection to Jemima’s nominated charity PAPYRUS.
Why PAPYRUS? “It’s dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. Every year thousands attempt or contemplate suicide, harm themselves or suffer alone, afraid to speak openly about how they are feeling. The more we speak and express our experiences the more likely we can save lives.”
Why PAPYRUS? “It’s dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. Every year thousands attempt or contemplate suicide, harm themselves or suffer alone, afraid to speak openly about how they are feeling. The more we speak and express our experiences the more likely we can save lives.”