Fantasy Wives/Reality Lives,  2025

 

My interest in creating the series Fantasy Wives/Reality Lives began as a personal inquiry into the dynamics of my parents’ divorce. I was compelled to explore the cultural forces that shaped their understanding of marriage—particularly their perceptions of gender roles, identity, and womanhood.

Both were children of the 1950s, a decade steeped in postwar idealism and the rise of American consumer culture. Women were depicted as radiant homemakers, joyfully using modern appliances to serve their families—a glossy, sanitized image that stood in stark contrast to the historical reality of systemic oppression. At that time, women were denied basic financial autonomy; they could not open a bank account or obtain a credit card without a husband's permission. Even more chilling, a woman could be institutionalized at her husband’s discretion, labeled “hysterical” or “unstable” for defying social norms.

My mother’s experience reflects the quiet suffering of many women of her generation. She struggled with depression and a deep sense of invisibility—feelings rooted in a society that devalued her voice and agency. These wounds, often unspoken, ripple across generations.

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