“Nonsense Begins (2025), a tempera on washi cutout collage that navigates her distinct lexicon of magical realism. The artist explains that she was interested in approaching the culture of blame and fear with this painting …Noteworthy, the creatures in the work are all in physical contact with the next, as in a pass-the-message exercise, thus emphasising the interconnectivity aspect behind the blame culture.” Elizabeth Xi Bauer
The narrative of Clapback is the violent response, not unprovoked, to the culture of blame that was explored in Nonsense Begins. At the top of the composition, we see a wolf-like figure pawing at a shell, out of which a dragon emerges: the moment of provocation which brings the anger. To the left, we see a figure fighting a serpent: a reference to the story of Eve, which inspired the series. Instead of symbols at the bottom, like in the cut-out, in the foreground, we have figures who have acted, and following up in a circular motion, we have figures in the act of reacting against the triggering act. In the work, horses feature repeatedly - they rear up and shift in distress and discomfort. In my practice, they have come to symbolise mankind: in a way influenced by Marino Marini’s sculptures of horses and riders.
Nonsense Begins
tempera on washi
170 x 95 cm
2025
Clapback
Oil and pastel on board
61 x 46 cm
2025