Grace and the Two Graces

This body of work references Greek Mythology, in particular The Three Graces and The Judgement of Paris. The Three Graces appear in many classical paintings and are commonly known as Aglaea (Beauty/ Splendour/ Brightness/ Elegance), Euphrosyne (Good Cheer/Mirth/Joyfulness) and Thalia (Youth/Beauty/Bloom/Festivities).The story of the Judgement of Paris comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses when Eris the goddess of strife threw an apple inscribed “to the fairest” into a banquet held by the Gods. The task of choosing which of three goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite should ‘win’ the apple was delegated to the mortal Paris, son of King Priam of Troy.

This painting was selected for the AON Community Award in 2019 and was exhibited in the Leadenhall Building ( the Cheesegrater) in London between 2019 and 2021. The women are rejecting being judged, with one comforting one of the others.

In classical paintings the women from these myths are usually depicted by the male gaze for the male gaze. The women are typically sexualised and are judged based on their appearance. In my paintings, I reclaim the female body image by depicting it through a different lens. In a bold, colourful way I depict these women representing themselves without fearing criticism.