Artists Statement

For my sustained investigation I chose to investigate the connections between religion, modern sin and women’s sexuality. Many religions require female followers to adhere to certain standards of modesty and ‘innocence’ yet how do these old, potentially outdated, rules apply in modern society. Through my pieces, I attempted to explore all facets of modern womanhood, including those that were foreign to me. At first, I did what was familiar, painting portraits of my friends as these god-like entities, combining my familiarity of the subject with the feelings that I had experienced. Yet I wanted my portfolio to be more encompassing of the female experience as a whole so I moved onto more unfamiliar subjects and topics. I tried to include women who do choose to adhere to religious rules.I experimented with many different styles and art mediums, learning  and adjusting for each painting. 

 

I found inspiration from the works of Frida Khalo, particularly her portraits. Her mix of surrealism and feminism helped me to form ideas and decide what kind of art I wanted to make. I also took inspiration from the street artist Plastic Jesus. I appreciate Plastic Jesus’s pieces about the glorification of celebrities to the point where it is a religion. This art pushed me to think outside of convention to find what religion actually means and what rules apply to women in our ‘religion’ as a society.