The artist, Hello Little Lady, invites you into a stream of consciousness that attempts to make sense of the conflicting narratives she faces while navigating the prejudice, indifference and intolerance from everyday stares, sniggers and sneers she experiences as a visibly disabled person with a rare form of Dwarfism.
The confusion felt from being simultaneously seen as disabled or Dwarf, yet equally dismissed when she embraces each identity. Highlighting her sense of overwhelm from society’s expectation to provide resolutions for every challenge presented. Wondering when her lived experiences and practice will be given the space and place to be visible. She asks you – how will you challenge the notion of how disabled people are seen and heard today?
This piece includes a derogative term to describe Dwarfism that some viewers may find upsetting.
The photo shows the reflection of Hello Little Lady’s forehead with sunglasses perched on the top of her head, in a bathroom mirror that is too high, staring directly at the tap and grey tiles behind it. You wouldn’t make a fuss about this if it happened to you all the time… would you?
Steph Robson, aka Hello Little Lady, is an artist and creative practitioner using visual, written, audio and participatory practices to explore the Dwarfism community’s lived experiences. Her debut exhibition ‘You’re Just Little’ in 2018 revealed the obstacles, challenges and societal assumptions Dwarf people face every day.
Steph’s passion is to give a voice and a platform to the Dwarfism community through creative arts. To enable and empower Dwarf people to be in control of how their narratives and stories are published in a world that often ridicules and objectifies their bodies within society.
Her work explores the themes of accessibility, othering and the tensions between disability and society.
