Night Swim 2022

Zoe Hawk’s painting, ‘Night Swim’ captures a disquieting scene of young women in a swimming pool under the cover of night. The painting is striking in its emotional complexity. Hawk’s choice of subject matter, adolescent girls, engages with societal expectations and cultural narratives surrounding girlhood. The girls are caught between conformity and the freedom of expression. The girl sitting on the edge seems to be excluding herself, while the girl at the bottom of the pool is having an individual experience. The women reaching towards each other suggests a shared experience, maybe even a ritual, but the overall effect is unsettling. The setting, a swimming pool at night, amplifies these tensions. It evokes both a sense of freedom and vulnerability. "I'm drawn to the ways that childhood is idealized and romanticized in our culture," Hawk has said, "and my work often explores the darker, more complicated aspects of growing up." 'Night Swim' ultimately reflects on the complex interplay between individual identity, group dynamics, and the societal pressures that shape the experience of young women. It's a moment frozen in time, inviting us to reflect on our own experiences of belonging and self-discovery.