Doll Face: A Critical Exploration of Gender Identity, Queer Autonomy, and the Reclamation of the Feminine Self examines the relationship between identity, perception, and performance through the symbolic and architectural framework of the dollhouse. Blending personal narrative, queer theory, feminist critique, and spatial analysis, this body of work explores how constructs like girlhood and femininity are imposed, internalized, and ultimately reclaimed.

The dollhouse operates as both metaphor and structure: a confined space where roles are predetermined, bodies are surveilled, and agency is limited. Within its walls, the distinction between child and doll is made clear, laying the framework for any deviation from the norm to be viewed as a spectacle. This dynamic mirrors the broader experience of gendered performance, where identity is watched, judged, and shaped by outside forces.

This project began from a desire to be seen and understood. Through the research, writing, and visual work, Daniela discovered how abstract ideas of space, structure, and design could help her find language for her identity. In her words, "I may not always know who I am, but every version of me is real because I say so."

Doll Face is both a personal archive and a critical anthology. It’s a space for queer discovery, feminist resistance, and the ongoing work of self-authorship. It gives voice to the little girl who has long wanted to be understood—and the queer person who now demands to be.