The Portrait of Dreams

Louise Ebel

We must dismantle that rhetorical feeling whereby, we ourselves, believe that we are not enough, that we do not fully belong to certain fields.

1. Bio

Art scholar, author, art&fashion blogger, journalist. Born in Paris, graduated in art history, a journalist and television presenter for ten years in Japan and correspondent for Marie Claire. She became known to the general public when she launched her blog Miss Pandora, in which she highlighted – through her own personal tastes – themes relating to French culture, history and lifestyle. Miss Pandora quickly grew in popularity, eventually turning into a full-time business. Today, Louise is a creator of cultural content, collaborating with the most prestigious of museums and institutions. She is particularly passionate about investigating and spotlighting the personalities and works of women throughout the history of art – those who have been forgotten or were never truly valued.

2. The power of a dream

Dreams are often the purest expression of our meaning in the world; they are the voice of our uniqueness and have the extraordinary power to find their way back in through the back door, should the main door be inaccessible. This is what happened to me with Miss Pandora: being part of the art world had always been my dream, but at the beginning they told me that I wasn’t what was required – I wasn’t academic enough, my interests were too niche and I was asking to be given a chance in a male-dominated field. What’s more, I was also interested in style and make-up. A sacrilege, which has however become my greatest ally in designing my own path – something that, today and with immense joy, allows me to dedicate myself to art, collaborating with some of the most prestigious museums and institutions.

3. My journey into real beauty

For centuries, our beauty has been defined, exploited and modified according to the expectations of the male gaze, now we are finally learning to ‘re-shape’ it according to our own extraordinary vision. It is so much more than a physical value, it is deeply rooted in the uniqueness of each and every human being. It is a journey that must start with us becoming aware of the value that each of us holds. Of the value that our ideas and our intelligence possess. Becoming aware of the extraordinary pride we feel as we honour our right to self-determination, to ‘re-write’ ourselves with what really drives, animates and orients us as our focus, without allowing ourselves to be ‘moulded’ from the outside. Entering deeply into this dimension means embarking upon a journey into true beauty.

4. What I learned and won’t let go

Learning to feel more confident in ourselves, in our abilities. What I feel, what I write, what I choose to be, matters. We need to stop belittling ourselves or feeling embarrassed when we know we’ve done a great job. The first thing I want for women is to feel safe. We have the right not to be killed, violated or compromised both physically and in terms of our aspirations. It is ludicrous that we still have to fight for the basic right to exist!

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