Midwest Broken Mirror is a portrait and video series featuring lived body-image narratives from across the Midwest. The project explores how race, gender identity, sexual orientation, culture, trauma, ability, and power shape the way we experience our bodies—and how we see one another.

Body image is not just about appearance; it is shaped by systems, expectations, and lived experience. Through photography and personal storytelling, Midwest Broken Mirror challenges narrow beauty standards and expands how bodies are understood, moving beyond shame and stereotype to explore identity, embodiment, safety, and belonging. By elevating voices often overlooked or misunderstood, the project invites deeper reflection on how bodies are valued—and who is allowed to feel at home within them.

Midwest Broken Mirror envisions a future where bodies are no longer filtered through systemic oppression, and where people are visible, complex, and able to thrive within their own skin.