Queen of Cups 2020

Zoe Hawk made Queen of Cups sometime in the 20th Century, with, I'm guessing, oils or acrylics. Look at the colours! That ochre dress, painted with visible brushstrokes, feels so warm and inviting against the flat, cool blue background. It's like she’s inviting us into her world. I love how the material is built up in layers, especially in the folds of the dress. You can almost feel the texture of the fabric, and the shadows create depth and volume. The flag she's holding, with its simple cup motifs, adds another layer of symbolism. I like how it all comes together - the texture, the color, the composition - to create this feeling of gentle authority. Hawk's work reminds me a bit of early Alice Neel, in the way she captures the essence of her subjects with such honesty and simplicity. But ultimately, Queen of Cups stands on its own, a testament to the power of art to evoke emotion and spark imagination.