Erin Will - Fine Artist 

In my practice I give voices to women who have historically not had one, using oil paint to represent statues as metaphors for feminist issues. 

Oil on canvas is predominantly what I use but I also enjoy the texture you can make and the effect given when painting on mirror and on plywood. I use a mix of a highly blended neutral colour pallet and some clearer Vincent Van Gogh inspired brushstrokes to represent shapes and light effectively.

I am deeply inspired by the renaissance era. The aura and ability to fill a room, the great religious paintings had, such as works by Artemisia Gentileschi and Caravaggio is something I will always strive to achieve.

One of the pieces I am most proud of and encompasses where I stand as an artist is ‘Giulietta I’. This is a painting of the statue of Juliet, from ‘Romeo and Juliet’, in her ‘home’ in Verona, Italy. There is a long-standing tradition of touching the thirteen year olds breast for good luck. This, for many reasons doesn't sit right with me, it is perfectly summarised in an article by Serena Jampel. She states ‘If one of the most iconic and beloved fictional women of all time is constantly groped for others’ momentary enjoyment and personal gain, what does that mean for the rest of us real-life women?’. This for me, summarises what I communicate in my practice. 

I plan to further my practice with more narrative heavy pieces, pushing the use of statues as my motif to bring light to the women throughout history who have been stripped of their voices.