Riverside, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2016) -- Regina Jacobson's paintings, which portray the social dictates of the ideal body image for young women, are on display at California Baptist University's "A Beautiful Lie," art exhibit.

Jacobson is an accomplished artist, curator and speaker. She has also spent a lifetime working in the fashion industry that has helped form her concepts of beauty. 

In her master's thesis work "The Cult of Beauty" at the Laguna College of Art and Design, she describes the human spirit as one longing for approval and acceptance. Her paintings examine how a delicate self-worth can be undermined in a society where standards of idealized beauty seem hallowed and venerated.

Her paintings are critiques of cultural perceptions of "acceptable" bodies/faces and sexualized behaviors for young women. Working out of a neorealist tradition, she constructs symbolic images, which can be interpreted as being allegorical in a theological or mythological way. 

"I wanted Regina to exhibit at CBU," said Duncan Simcoe, visual arts professor at CBU. "She is right on point about her ideas of women and their bodies. She is a mature professional and her work should be an inspiration for young women at CBU."

The exhibit is now open and runs through March 4 at CBU's Gallery located at 3737 Main St, Suite. 101 in downtown Riverside. The display is open Tuesday – Saturday from noon – 8:00 p.m.