Emilie Evans

I like to ask questions, usually about society, identity, family and life, and I show this in my work. Personal identity and what is socially acceptable are concepts that have warped and changed over time as society has become more open and understanding as it has filled with the people it had previously shunned. However that does not mean that changes don’t still need to be made and questions raised, as even with this new society we are building, we are still given moulds and rules we must follow to fit in.  

I like to show these questions in my work and use them as representation for those who need them raised, those who need others to recognise their struggles. To do this I prefer to work digitally, experimenting with brushes and textures and shapes without fear of ruining a work due to a slip of the wrist.  However, I also find that traditional mediums such as pencil, watercolour, pastels, fine line, calligraphy, and alcohol markers are fun and interesting ways to challenge myself and experiment as I fill a white page with colour.  

I also use photography as a way to create contrast and for this work I use it to show a cartoon character walking around our world to raise more questions and hopefully get the viewers thinking. I want to show people that they are not alone and give them a voice, maybe give question raisers like myself another question to think about; to create visibility for those whose struggles are not deemed socially acceptable yet are common or normal; and especially due to the lockdowns and the chaos after 2020, I feel this is needed now more than ever. I don’t want to be the only one asking questions. The more of us that ask, the louder and less dismissible those questions and issues become.