Pink

Abstract

This painting explores the relationship between environment and identity through an abstract visual language. Inspired by the emotional intensity and psychological distortion in the work of Francis Bacon, I aimed to create an image that prioritises emotion over direct representation.

The background is painted entirely in Baker-Miller pink, a colour historically associated with femininity but also linked to psychological experimentation. Originally used in prisons for its supposed calming effects, later studies suggested prolonged exposure could increase agitation. I use this contradiction to challenge assumptions surrounding femininity and gendered colour associations. In this painting, the pink environment becomes oppressive rather than comforting, suggesting that cultural constructions of femininity can be restrictive and destabilising.

At the centre of the composition, a crude and indistinct figure emerges through thick applications of yellow, purple, and red paint. Detailed features are largely absent except for emphasised eyes, breasts, and vulva. This selective focus reflects how women’s bodies are often subjected to scrutiny while individuality becomes obscured. The figure’s distorted and undefined form suggests a loss of self-shaped by external perception.

Furthermore, the figure appears embedded within the pink background, unable to separate itself from its environment. Surrounding the composition, a heavily worked red frame creates a sense of violence and confinement, symbolising the systems that shape and contain identity. Through colour, material, and abstraction, this work examines how environments influence perceptions of femininity and the body.