Jem Staples - BA (Hons) Fine Art
Femina
Working with timeless symbolism, appropriating its female qualities and situating it in a crimson, all-feminine space; Jem’s work highlights her desire to at once create and destroy, tarnishing the ideas of the ‘cursed sex’ – she drains the innocent white from girls’ pink to leave us with the true colour of womanhood: Red. She immerses viewers in an inferno adorned with an abundance of pomegranates and the bloodied seeds that leak from their womb-like insides; spiders – the allied species of women, monsters that reflect matriarchal victory and creativity. While presenting visceral themes of female rage, blood, and the body, Jem's art confronts viewers with the raw, unapologetic reality of the female experience throughout history; her art has served as an instigator and a healer, provoking reflection and offering solace in equal measure. Jem embraces the complexity and depth of the feminine psyche, transcending societal expectations and reclaiming power. Her work is ultimately personal yet relatable, a testament to the prominence of the feminine voice in the ongoing dialogue of human experience.
