Artist Statement
Domestic Dissolution: Knots Unbound
Acrylic and collage on watercolour paper
In my illustrated series, Domestic Dissolution: Knots Unbound, I explore the nuance of gender roles, analyzing the patriarchal constructs of femininity associated with cooking and cleaning in the domestic kitchen. I express the expected social confines designated to women – caregivers, cooks, and cleaners, with their labour frequently going unnoticed or unappreciated. The domestic kitchen historically being a feminine domain is a pervasive cycle that appears in the lives of many women. This is a scenario I observe where mothers, in particular, assume the responsibility of cooking and cleaning without voicing discontent. This series stems from both a profound appreciation for the women in my life who have shouldered these responsibilities and a disdain to the patriarchal system that mandates women to bear the burden of these roles.
I use a fusion of traditional painting and collage to depict a modern kitchen, to combine the historical and contemporary narratives surrounding women’s roles. I draw inspiration from my own modern kitchen and combine traditional means with contemporary imagery to symbolize the enduring cycle of domestic kitchen responsibilities that still persists. In each piece, the presence of an apron serves as a metaphor for the entrapment often experienced by women with this patriarchal cycle. The apron, seemingly removed, signifies an act of defiance.
I seek to dismantle these cycles by challenging preconceived notions and breaking free from the confines of traditional gender roles.
TOTS Magazine
My illustration specialization has been a combination of editorial and children’s illustration. Over the semester, I created a children’s magazine, TOTS, which centres around the exploration of a single ingredient – the potato – and how places around the world utilize it. I wanted my magazine to serve as a tool for educating children and families, inviting them into the kitchen and fostering a shared learning experience. Through this I advocate for cooking as a family, breaking away from traditional gender norms and involving everyone in the kitchen.
Contrasting to my children’s magazine, which emphasizes kitchen activities as an inclusive family experience, I depict a more realistic portrayal of women roles in the kitchen within my series – exploring the dynamics often present in households.