Raw exhibition
This exhibition, Raw, is a collection of art which reflects the vulnerability, rage and sadness I’ve experienced. It captures the raw honesty of being a woman navigating patriarchal pressures. It is expressed through sketches of naked poses that reject objectification and offer an untamed female perspective, not polished, not sexualised but in images revealing the unvarnished truth.
Pink Umbrella
Often even objects can seem sad, such as this pink umbrella. I’m not sure if the umbrella is escaping or being rescued. I guess at times, we also desire to move between the two.
Heavy and Pure Potentiality
I started with a short pencil and charcoal sketch of a pose presented in a life drawing class.
For me the pose resonated as the feeling of weight, living in chaos and oppression, caused by the dominance of toxic masculine energy on the planet and in my personal life. I named her: Heavy.
In the second piece, which was inspired by Heavy, I wanted to express the rise of feminine energy, and its pure potential (the field of possibilities and infinite creativity). The explosion of my choice of colours and lines represents the receiving of this magnetic energy.
Pink Corset, Series of 4
These four drawings started out as short pencil sketches of poses presented in a life drawing session and how I was triggered by the addition of a corset, not of my choosing. It was impossible to create an image, in my eyes, that didn’t objectify or sexualise the model when wearing the corset.
The history of the corset is fascinating and helps us to
understand some of the subtleties of female oppression but also how it has been reappropriated today as an item of feminist fashion, with kinder fabrics, worn as a flaunted outer garment. Vive la mode de Vivienne Westwood.
Poses in Grey , Series of 3
Never underestimate the grey woman; she waits in silence, like a grenade, steely and still, biding her time until the pin is pulled.
A Moment’s Clarity
That fleeting moment when it all becomes abundantly clear.
Waiting for it to Pass, Series of 3
The quiet moments of depression and resilience, where the struggle is not just to endure but to find hope in the act of waiting.
The Art of Procrastination, Series of 4
I was in my late fifties when I learnt that chronic procrastination was the result of poor emotional management and not poor time management. It is brought on by stress, trauma and a lack of self-worth. So, wait…. you mean…. I’m not lazy, depressed and undisciplined? What a game changer.
I’d spent years, since a child, tidying and cleaning to avoid getting dressed and leaving the house. It felt calming but really it was a way to avoid certain tasks, people and conversations.
Art, initially helped me to relax and switch off but later through some of these drawings it really helped me to understand how my traumas had impacted my behaviour.
Art is truly cathartic and liberating. It’s really not a cliché.
In My Head
Our thoughts can be stifling and yet somehow there is still space for matching nipples and socks.
Don’t Look at Me
When you’re finally seen and heard, then judged and dismissed. Sometimes, it’s just easier when you don’t look at me.
Woman in Recline
Contemplating one’s navel. Spending too much time thinking about yourself and your own problems.
Thinking About It
For those times when you think, perhaps you’ll join in, but really can’t be arsed.
Let’s Face It
The steadfast determination moments before, facing a new challenge.
