At’ééd (Diné girl) stands face-forward in a traditional rug dress, wearing her sash and silver belt. Her shoulders are square and direct, while her hands form a thoughtful pose - one resting beneath her chin, the other supporting her elbow. The gesture feels almost instinctive, yet it raises a question: Is this how I naturally pose, or is this how I am learning to present myself?

Her face is transformed into flowers and cactus, continuing the floral language of the earlier works while introducing something more resilient and untamed. Her long hair falls freely around her, carrying a sense of unrulyness and independence. She is entering a new stage of life, but she still wants to remain wild, curious, and free.

The traditional clothing places her within a moment of cultural and personal transition. I imagine her around the time of her coming-of-age ceremony - a threshold between girlhood and womanhood, where identity is shaped by tradition, family, community, and the person she is beginning to choose for herself.

The work considers the tension between becoming and presenting: the difference between who we are, how we feel, and how we learn to carry ourselves in front of others. Her direct stance feels confident, while her thoughtful gesture suggests that she is still figuring it out.

She is not finished becoming. She is learning how to stand in the world as herself.