Kiki Smith’s work is fierce and enchanting, her intense, dark detailed works challenge bodily and sexual taboos whilst questioning concepts of race, gender and humanities relation to the natural world. I was particularly drawn to her beautifully haunting pen and ink works depicting women and wolves entranced and entangled. The images have a fierceness and plays upon our fears of the wild and the monstrous, predatory animal whilst depicted in a seemingly contradictory calm and almost loving way, the connection between the animals and women is balanced and accepting, there is no need to tame the beast, and there is no need for the women to hide themselves or shy away. Through drawing on recognisable and highly symbolic imagery of the wolves and birds against these exposed women the artworks subvert the traditional predator and prey didactic narrative into something more subtle and ambiguous.
I particularly love the stylised drawings and the subtle interactions and symbolisms at play, constantly evolving their own story in the works which I feel I can draw upon in my own work. her sculptures are also interesting, but I feel like her drawings hold the greatest draw for me.
Rebecca Elysium 