Bite Me

This piece is part 2 of 2 in my breakup series, serving as a powerful reclamation of strength and self-worth following a painful breakup caused by his infidelity. The central figure is a striking woman embodying the essence of a femme fatale, illustrating what my ex lost out on by causing me pain.

Beneath her, I embroidered the words “Bite Me,” a bold expression of my annoyance and frustration towards him for hurting and embarrassing me. At the bottom of the piece are two hands—one clearly feminine and the other presenting as masculine—painted on a separate canvas and attached to this work. The woman is depicted passing an embroidered black widow to the male, a nod to the instinct of female black widows who sometimes kill and eat the male after mating.

Along the right side of the piece, a poem I wrote encapsulates my emotions regarding the situation, directly calling him out for his actions and how he treated me during our relationship. The poem is written on black paper adorned with beaded embellishments in opposite corners, creating visual interest and referencing the beaded tear from part 1, symbolizing my journey from sorrow to empowerment.