Gestures of Affection is a specially commissioned series of seven unique digital and print works—product of the collaboration between artist Sarah Choo Jing and the Italian Fashion House Valentino. It marks a celebration of femininity and humanity, portraying the seven characteristics of the female experience, including Resilience. Drawing from the idea of unspoken narratives, the staged scene has a female protagonist in the centre of the circle, representing the moon—a powerful symbol of feminine energy. Sarah’s artistic process is incredibly labour-intensive as seen in the level of detail and precision; the process becoming an essential part of the final work and its message. The stark black background contrasts the hues of pink and red, a nod to Valentino’s codes. Breaking down the traditional notions of gender and vanity in art and fashion, the series challenges the female body’s perceptions across time. 

Flowers disseminate from the body's centre as if caught in a moment of bloom. The garden-like portrayal is reminiscent of The Garden of Eden, as if narrating the story of temptation and knowledge. With the woman at the centre unabashedly looking at the viewer, she recalls the ideals of creation, sexuality and moral complexity. The choice of showcasing garden imagery can even be deduced as an act of reclaiming space by questioning historical representations of women in art as objects of pleasure. The concentration of flowers on the side the woman lays relays the ideals of emotional depth that lie with the possessor of feminine energy, a profound expression of resilience.