Over time, I have discovered that painting the female body is a problematic minefield, often finding that my work caresses a fine line between objectification and celebration. As both an artist and a feminist, I believe it important to use my practice as a platform for discovery; using humour, poetry and irony in order to explore the artistic politics of women. My work aims to reclaim the female nude from a feminist perspective, in order to depict an empowered body and to challenge the heterosexual male gaze. Incorporating characteristics of surrealism became a starting point of using hilarity in order to undermine these perceptions. A nude ‘selfie’ is typically used to be sent for sexual gratification of the receiver, but through painting I reclaim ownership, deciding how I want the female body to be viewed and thus removing permission for sexualisation.
