She was beauty and brains. Marilyn Monroe inspired me to do this piece called “Hollywood Glow” because of the talent and resilience to overcome a hard childhood. Marilyn however chose to go after her own dream life and become a powerful woman figure. But even beneath her perfect Hollywood image, there is a woman marked with an exploited life with emotional instability and a constant struggle to be taken seriously for who she was. I made Marilyn look off into the distance on purpose, that my aim was to capture the story most people know of her as an icon who’s perfect. I wanted to portray she was human just like everyone else in this world. That fame looks perfect, unbroken and what most people strive for, it can change people’s perspective of the world. This piece also outlines the political undertones of her life, including the widely rumored relationships between John F. Kennedy. These alleged affairs positioned Marilyn at the intersection of celebrity and political power, where her body and image became entangled with secrecy, influence, and scandal. Rather than focusing on gossip, I use these rumors as symbols of how powerful institutions consume and discard individuals, especially women. Marilyn’s story becomes a reflection on how personal suffering is often overshadowed by spectacle, and how vulnerability is exploited in both Hollywood and politics. I wanted this piece to tie back into her own history through the glow of Hollywood. I highlight this through my developed shadows and highlights in her hair to exemplify or exaggerate her personal image. I wanted to make it dramatic so she could stand out even by her expression and where her eyes are looking off into the distance as if she is lost in another world. Overall, Hollywood Glow explores how visual perfection can function as a form of containment. The piece does not attempt to expose what lies beneath the image; instead, it examines the image itself as a powerful structure ultimately defining how the subject is seen. The work invites viewers to question how much of what we admire is genuine presence, and how much is the glow carefully placed on the surface.