Description

This painting is very clearly portraying beauty for beauty’s sake – this wasn’t always the case though. I originally created a contrast between the beautiful model with an anti-rape, body autonomy slogan – “my cunt, you cunt”. I developed the painting further because I understand there’s a time and a place for such hardcore feminists slogans. A gallery owner said it was vulgar but I say rape is also vulgar. Anyway, I prefer to stay on the right side of feminism – I don’t do glamour. The outcome of this painting made me question my identity as an artist because the nudity is a bit gratuitous. The meaning now is not what I originally intended but I allowed her simple beauty to shine out, with no challenge other than she’s smiling to herself about something that the viewer can only wonder about.

So, this painting has two leading beauties to rest your gaze upon now – the Goddess/bather and the rare albo variegated variety of the Monstera Deliciosa. This plant is often referred to as Adams Rib because of the splits and fenestrations in the leaves. The title Focused refers to the female figure being confident in her thoughts and body. The painting also reflects upon the ecofeminist philosophy about the intrinsic connection between women and ecology.

The painting explores softness, femininity, abstraction, playful vivid colours and an indulgence for a sought-after rare tropical plant. The variegation on the leaf is only created by a genetic mutation, which means the plant can only be cultivated from a cutting, not a seed.