The subtly distorted and confined figure in Boxed II embodies the often unseen restraints, sacrifices and stereotypes that women experience. With a moment of reflection, the viewer can see that the woman is limited within the rectangular space. She is restricted but importantly not squashed, as she has become used to her need to adapt to the space that she is allowed to take up in the world and the expectations that she is held to.

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The simplicity of her presence alone on the bare linen opens up a conversation of an emptiness and vulnerability. Conversely, she is nude and self-assured.

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Helen Stotesworthy is a figurative artist currently based in London, UK.

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After graduating with a degree in Fine Art Painting, she moved into a successful career working for several renowned galleries and artists in London. She has since returned to the studio, where she uses drawing, photographic collage and editing as a starting point for her oil paintings.

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Her newest works dissect the female figure and explore subconscious bias, processing the effects of the modern world as a woman and mother.

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