Poisonous Woman Installation

Brief: Wallpaper design

2022 Digital illustrations

These individual artworks came together to create my final bespoke wallpaper. Each of the panels were inspired by William Morris and the Art Nouveau movement. This is shown through the flowing curvature of the shapes and composition reminiscent of Morris' print Pimpernel (1876).

Using the medicinal California poppy and lavender to symbolise healing and positivity, my designs develop to form poisonous and toxic symbols. This mirrors the history of women and mental health, where some were accused of evil practices. Symmetry, colour and subject matter shift as you walk along the wallpaper; coinciding with the emerging woman who turns to confront the viewer.

These artworks were the conclusion to my project which was greatly inspired by Charlotte perkins Gillman's short story The Yellow Wallpaper (1892).

Brief: Wallpaper designs

2022 Physical print

To create a final installation spanning 5 meters by 11 meters, I printed my designs onto vertical lengths of wallpaper and adhered onto the exhibition space myself. This was extremely physically challenging and involved great attention to detail to align the shapes. The effect is an alternating wallpaper design which works to express the toxic and poisonous labels applied to women and their mental health. As well as this, the narrators experience in The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) is recreated for the audience.

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