Harriet Williams

 My artistic practice investigates the interrelations between three pivotal thematic concepts; femininity, figure and the environment.  Using materiality of paint, subject matter, colour and mark making, my work unites these principles, using physical tools and techniques in order to solidify major to minute connections. My paintings wish to confront norms, pressures, trends and stereotypes of our current social realm and unpack, through an abstracted means, the social climate we reside in. By this, I look to challenge beliefs surrounding not only what encapsulates femininity but stereotypes surrounding gender, as well as representation regarding human form, size, shape, proportion and scale. In turn, my practice looks to not only highlight the female lived experience in the 21st century but also challenge it, breaking down stereotypical associations of what the patriarchy pressurises woman to be. As such, my underlying motivation is to create a body of inclusive, empowering and cheerful work that accommodates a diverse audience. In addition, the fusion of these three thematic principles also investigates generally our relationship, as humans, with our surroundings; whether that be interior or exterior environments. I wish to portray the connections or oscillation and contrasts between figure and environment through my practise and establish what connects us to our surroundings.  All of these concepts I have stated are represented on an abstract basis, with motifs, marks, colours and forms giving indications and flecks of ideas which provoke the audience to engage with feminist material. Abstraction is also paramount in my practice on a physical and aesthetic standpoint, with image manipulation and digital collage proving key in the development of my complex, interwoven narratives and fantasy driven and whimsical imagery. My resolved pieces fuse these thematic concepts by not only interlacing the subject matter through digital means but also combining the imagery present with materiality and mark making.