water babies
+ maria marshall
in collaboration with Maria Marshall
Ane Alfeiran and Maria Marshall develop their collaboration through a unique creative process: blind drawing. Deprived of vision, both artists immerse themselves in a state of pure intuition, allowing the subconscious to guide each line and shape. This technique not only strips the act of drawing of rationality and visual control, but also reveals spontaneous gestures and primal emotions that would otherwise be filtered by consciousness.
In this approach, the body itself becomes a channel for creation, with the hand moving freely over the surface without visual restrictions. The result is a series of images charged with raw energy, where forms emerge from a liminal space between control and chaos, evoking a direct connection with internal impulses. The influence of Francis Bacon is palpable in the distortion of the figures and the expressive intensity that emerges from this method, exploring creation, destruction, life, and death in a single gesture.
The process of working blindly also delves into the relationship between the body and memory, challenging perception and allowing the line to reveal layers of meaning beyond conscious representation. In this exploration, water becomes a symbol of transformation and birth, the experience of motherhood, and the sexualization of women, grounding them in primal aspects of the body. The fluidity of water serves as a symbol of life, transformation, and the shifting perceptions of femininity. The work references the tradition of representing women’s bodies in art, moving beyond objectification to consider strength, sexual autonomy, and resilience. There are parallels with Louise Bourgeois’ exploration of birth and the female body, engaging with similar themes of motherhood and the complexities of womanhood.
The series not only questions the traditional representation of the female body in art but also asserts its strength, autonomy, and capacity for renewal through a visual language that emanates directly from instinct.
