“Steel-plated” is a photo-essay about femininity in times of war.
How did a woman sustain being a woman at war?
How does vulnerability unveil if it must be concealed? The problem is that we speak about the past in the present-day language.
How can we convey the feelings of those days?
artist: Paula Punkstina
project: Steel-plated
The image of a strong woman in the military has come to symbolize the progress that has been made in gender equality. Women have served in the military for centuries, but it is only in the past 70 years that they have been allowed to serve in combat roles.
As more and more women have broken down barriers and risen through the ranks, the image of a strong woman in the military has become a powerful symbol of women's empowerment and equality.
By researching the national archive and reading personal stories from the past, I want to memorialize the importance of the female presence in combat in the past and nowadays.
