Ophelia Revived is a narrative series of mixed media drawings addressing the struggles of female adolescence. Unlike Shakespeare’s archetype of Ophelia, it is not unrequited love pulling these girls into the deep waters of despair, it is societal expectations, social media, and unrealistic standards of body image that drown their confidence.
A black background proved to be the ideal base for these emotions. There is a tactile, meditative quality to the drawing marks. Chiaroscuro, or forms emerging out of the darkness, echo these struggles. Images float on an open, vast picture plane. The subject appears unsettled, lost at times. The figure could not be revealed without this darkness behind the coloured marks. Some areas are ghost like and transparent, while other elements of the drawings appear jewel like and saturated.
In this narrative Ophelia grabs hold of a lifeline within herself, floats to the surface, and is revived.
All drawings are 22 x 30 inches and are available for purchase through the artist except those already sold or in a private collection.
