Isabelle Smith
she/her
Ceremonies of a Rather Diabolical Nature
Isabelle Smith’s painting practice constructs visceral, multi-layered, claustrophobic compositions that are intensified by selective symbolic objects. These enclosed interior spaces disorientate the viewer and reflect bodily and psychological labour. This body of work is a reflection of the female experience, histories of institutionalised containment, societal isolation, and restraint.
Her large-scale oil paintings are the result of archival research, personal reflections, and expressive grammars of painting. The colour pink is a recurring dominant element of her work; the synthetic nature of the material contrasts with this heavy subject matter and reflects upon contemporary society's attitudes towards stereotyping and silencing women. Methods such as scraping, dragging and covering up paint reinforce the historical context of the work in relation to violence against women and the covering up of state occurrences.
The addition of a strangely humorous signature rabbit acts as a sense of comfort surrounding such traumatic narratives.
The Apple Never Falls Far, oil on canvas,100 x 100 cm.
Ceremonies of a Rather Diabolical Nature, oil on canvas. 150 x 120 cm.
Architecture of Containment, oil on canvas, 100 x 150 cm.
I'll Make An Atheist Get on Their Knees, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm.
Leaba II, oil on canvas, 30 x 30 cm.
Hang in There, oil on canvas, 60 x 30 cm.
Éire, oil on canvas. 20 x 20 cm.
Sit Straight, oil on canvas, 25 x 20 cm.
Woke Up on The Floor Again, oil on canvas, 20 x 25 cm.
Research
