Menos Pausa

Menos Pausa is a pun on the word menopause in Portuguese - Menopausa. “Menos” means less and “Pausa” means pause. The twist gives a new meaning to this phase and expresses my opinion contrary to all the stereotypes created around a woman over 50, reinforcing that we don't need to pause anything in this point of our lives.

According to figures released by the WHO (World Health Organization), by 2030, there will be 1 billion women going through menopause.The first signs of menopause can be noticed from the age of 40, in the so-called climacteric period, the months or years preceding the actual menopause that is the last menstrual cycle. The phase, between climacteric, pre-menopause and post-menopause, can last from 10 to 30 years. That is, 1/3 of a woman's life is lived within this process.

I started this project in 2019 when appeared the first signs that I was entering my climacteric phase. I was 49 years old at the time. Amidst all the usual symptoms of the period, such as insomnia, hot flashes, irritability, and weight gain, several questions were arising. Instinctively I photographed my last cycles and kept reflecting on the meaning of this new phase of my life. Researching the subject and interviewing other women I was confronted with diverse experiences, but what intrigued me the most is how it is still a sensitive subject in most cultures.

My project reflects on the physical and psychological aspects that women go through when their fertility naturally comes to an end, and aims to discuss the theme with lightness, naturalness, and even some humor since it is still surprisingly treated as taboo in many countries.

The work is composed of photographs either solo images as well as diptychs, watercolors and prints combined with photographs, and objects made by macro images and small acrylic absorbents. Extracts from the interviews are meant to be shown alongside the images.