Selina Roman, "XS12", 2021. Dye sublimation on aluminum. Provided photo.

What defines a perfect body? Is it a certain build or a specific body fat percentage? Is it the size of one’s waist, the angularity of one’s face or the brightness one's smile? There are “standards” of beauty that have been propagated upon society since the dawn of mankind, standards of which 99% of the population cannot meet, standards that serve no one except those that claim to fit within them.

This concept is explored in Sarasota Art Museum’s (SAM) exhibition Selina Roman: Abstract Corpulence, which debuted in August and is on view through March 2026. Featuring new works from Florida native Selina Roman, Abstract Corpulence uses Roman’s love of self-portraiture to dissect traditional notions of beauty, particularly in the female figure. “Selina works in photojournalism and fine art photography, and has been the lead photographer in different fashion campaigns,” says Virginia Shearer, Executive Director of SAM. “She noticed that the fashion industry is organized around the “perfect” body. Selena is tall, she is a plus-size person and it struck her that in her own work, she could be fully herself.”

In Abstract Corpulence, Roman staged images where she is dressed in brightly colored outfits, before creating self-portraiture of her body in different positions to create shapes. These portraits, blown-up to a large scale and printed on aluminum, are purposely deceptive—at first glance, it’s difficult to ascertain that the shapes are actually body parts. “In some of the images, she’s wearing a ballerina body suit, but you don’t know that when you first scan the images. You have to look very closely,” says Shearer. “Within the exhibit, she’s created an environment around her photography and hung the images in such a way that it feels as if we are immersed in them, that we are entering into her world.”

Roman’s decision to create large scale prints on aluminum as opposed to printing smaller photographs is also emblematic of the exhibition’s theme. “I think it’s an invitation to engage on a deeper level than if these were small-scale photographs,” says Shearer. “She’s overlaid the images on the walls to create a little more texture and chaos for us to figure out what’s really happening. She’s really exploring how we inhabit spaces.”

Selina Roman: Abstract Corpulence, August 31-March 29, 2026, Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

Selina Roman, "XS12", 2021. Dye sublimation on aluminum. Provided photo.

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