The Paper Bandit

This project is based on research that I did on the subject of women who kill. The collages are all inspired by documentaries, interviews, and biographies about female killers, as well as in depth case studies.

The outdated view that women are not physically or psychologically capable of committing violent crimes is still very much engrained within our society. Women in general are still believed to have a greater internal goodness than men, and in our western culture we still consider women to be nurturing and self-sacrificing people, with higher moral standards than the opposite sex.

I was intrigued by the fact that poisoning was a popular method amongst female killers in the past, and I became interested in how these women have exploited their traditional gender roles and used it to their advantage. I wanted to play on the outdated expectation towards women to stay at home to cook and clean, and came up with an idea of illustrating onto household objects. By doing so I could create a jarring contrast between the subject matter and the objects representing the safe and pleasant environment of home. I collaged onto an iron, a plate, and a chopping board, amongst other things.