Hysteria explores the systemic neglect of women’s mental health in medical research and the consequences of this oversight. Historically, clinical studies have centred on Caucasian men, leaving women, especially women of colour, misdiagnosed and dismissed. Socialization further shapes how mental illness presents, reinforcing biases that delay diagnosis and treatment.

Using pit bulls as a metaphor, this series highlights how both women’s health concerns and these animals are misunderstood and villainized, despite evidence that challenges these prejudices. Society often engages more readily with animal advocacy than with discussions of women’s health, making this parallel a tool for bypassing cultural barriers and confronting stigma.

This project is deeply personal, reflecting my own experiences with MDD, ADHD, and PMDD within systems that minimize women’s struggles. Hysteria examines how nature and nurture intersect, how cultural narratives reinforce themselves, and the urgent need to challenge these disparities.