Tove’s work for the Vanitas exhibition is a powerful comment on vanity, which in itself is literally derived from vanitas. It means that putting too much effort in something as shallow and superficial as appearance is completely ‘in vain’ , or in other words: wasted effort.
The classical point that was made, was that only the effort put into living virtuously would pay off (towards getting into heaven). The modern remnant thereof is of course that real beauty is on the inside, not the outside.
Tove’s portraits make this point in reference to the absurd amount of effort and suffering contemporary women put into their appearance, especially through plastic surgery. This form of self mutilation hardly ever makes someone look prettier and all to often leaves someone scarred and looking less beautiful and with less character and identity.
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