Zoë Douglas-Cain
“A newly found peace is expressed in this collage. It depicts a calm place reached after struggle. The inhabitants are settling in, finding their flow, while the trees create an enclosed sanctuary around them. Their body language conveys relief and ease. The two women in the foreground are discovering the new land and its possibilities. They move with, and embrace, a fresh and welcome state of being for all.”
Zoë Douglas-Cain is a collage artist living and working in London. She studied art in the 1980s and later worked as an art therapist. Her work tends to celebrate women in the world, placing them at the centre of the picture in a variety of guises—rarely meeting the viewer’s gaze. Her work is largely humorous, sometimes cheeky, and depicts women engaged in reverie and play, alongside one another or in their own spaces: autonomous and self-possessed. At times, Zoë is moved to comment on world events through her work, without being overtly political. She collects images from old magazines, flyers, and similar printed materials. Zoë rarely starts with a fixed idea; instead, she spreads collected, often pre-cut images in front of her, or begins with a background and works from there. The process is organic, and a story gradually reveals itself. She finds that the best pieces are often made quickly and without too much thought—as though the images were choosing and arranging themselves. Zoë enjoys a clash of styles.
“Pastures New”, collage on paper (29,7x21cm)