Fortis Feminae is a group of works that deal with the expectations and stereotypes associated with female body image. The project is based around the figure of Wilgefortis, a female Catholic saint from 11th century legends, who is depicted in these tales with a beard. According to legend, her father wanted her to marry against her will, and against her vow of chastity – so she prayed to God to strip her of her beauty. Waking up one day with facial hair, she was crucified by her angry father. Wilgefortis would become the patron saint of women who had suffered abuse and wanted to escape the cruelty of men. Simon picks up this story to focus on the continued oppression of women, and the symbolism of women's body hair as 'masculine'. The project includes a self-portrait of the artist with a beard, a sculpture of a crucified Wilgefortis, and a fanzine linking the mediaeval story to the present day. Simon's work also seeks to break down the taboo of representation around female hair, addressing the representational, cultural, physiological and psychological aspects of hirsutism – the phenomenon of increased female body hair growth.
