Play Like a Girl by Jaq Grantford

Size (cm): 101 x 71
Oil on Canvas

This painting responds to the way young girls are so often portrayed as quiet, delicate, and well-behaved, dressed in ways that subtly suggest how they should move through the world. Clothing can carry unspoken expectations. I wanted to push against that idea and celebrate the wildness, imagination, and force that children naturally possess.
Here, the child is not posed or restrained. She is roaring along with the dinosaurs. There is mess, energy, and joy. The dress becomes part of the play rather than something precious that limits it.
The work also speaks to freedom of choice. Girls do not have to be gentle, and boys can wear dresses too if they wish. Children should be allowed to explore identity, play, and self-expression without being boxed in by outdated expectations. At its heart, this painting is about protecting that freedom and honouring childhood as a place of curiosity, creativity, and possibility.