Skip to Content

Catherine Panebianco – Honorable Mention

How to Draw a Perfect Circle

How to Draw a Perfect Circle is a series in progress. It explores perfection, control and the hold it’s had on my life. I am the classic “good girl,” socially and academically successful, smart and driven, pretty and kind but also, a people pleaser. Growing up, I had no opinions on things and always followed the rules. I ticked these “boxes” to please others at the cost of my own well-being or needs. This shaped much of my life and eventually led to anorexia in my teens and college years.  This series examines these issues, how they came to be and coming to terms with how they affected my life. 

How to Draw a Perfect Circle also includes diary entries and letters focusing on things that have played a significant part with my struggle. The juxtaposition between the images and text highlights my need to project the facade of a happy, well-adjusted girl to the outside world while underneath silently churning with self-deprecation.