Title: Sapphic Lovers in Rose Garden
from the Sapphic Intimacy series
Year: 2021
Size: 14x10 cm
Technique: Illustration, fine liners on paper

Description
In this piece, I chose to explore sapphic intimacy, in a natural environment, challenging the idea that queer love is “unnatural” through the metaphor of women being together in nature. Queer intimacy has always existed in art, but has been very hidden, and continues to be marginalised. Throughout my research in search of artists who represented queer-ness in their art, I came to the realisation that most recognised artists who had depicted women’s intimacy with each other were heterosexual gender-conforming men. This in no way transforms the male gaze positioning of mainstream art, and cannot be confused with women representing their own love for each other in their art. This is why I wanted to ex-plore the intimacy that can exist in the space between women in my art. Note that I have defined intimacy as emotional closeness and soulful sharing of lives (as opposed to the mainstream definition of intimacy as only meaning sex). Also, politically, it is important for there to be representation of marginalised communities in every art form, and this is something that is currently being revolutionised, in which I want to participate by continuing to depict sapphic love in my artwork.