Faye Eithne O’Brien

Faye's project parodies the female body navigating gendered social hierarchies. Her work is glamorous and paradoxical, exploring a woman's expression of her own sexuality within the broader social context of misogynistic and phallocentric social norms.

Large-scale oil and acrylic paintings are populated by poised yet partially exposed women. A painting of suited men juxtaposes the female figures, epitomising patriarchal control. Through installation, the gender hierarchy is flipped, with men placed lower than their female counterparts.

Ink drawings allow their female forms to embody sexualisation and exaggerated anonymous images of desire, pleasure, and fun. The sculptural works use latex, faux fur, and salvaged materials in order to confront female reproduction rights issues that backdrop the utopic sexuality depicted in the large paintings.

Ultimately, the work is a superficial, female-centred utopia, where women have negotiated their sexuality within the patriarchy to achieve empowerment and agency.