Photographer Captures Dreams and Realities of American Teenage Girls

In her latest photographic project, Belgian artist Eva Verbeeck turns her lens toward the complex lives of teenage girls across the United States. The project, which has evolved into a book titled America’s Girls, On the Edge of a Dream, was born from Verbeeck’s childhood fascination with the myth of the American teenager—a concept she viewed from afar while growing up in a small farming town in Belgium.

The journey began during an encounter with a group of cheerleaders in Savannah, Georgia. This moment sparked a deeper curiosity about what it truly feels like to come of age in a culture previously experienced only through imagination. Verbeeck sought to understand how the realities of these young women compared with the idealized vision she had held.

The resulting collection offers an intimate portrait of adolescence, focusing on themes of identity, agency, and self-discovery. Portraits featured in the series include Jasmin and Camren, 16, dressed in marching band uniforms; Jazmine, 11; Addisen, 15, holding a rifle; and Kadie, 13, wearing a Patriots vest with an injured arm. Each image aims to capture the unique dreams and challenges faced by these girls as they navigate their formative years.

America’s Girls, On the Edge of a Dream is published by GOST. All photographs are copyrighted by Eva Verbeeck.