Bethan Hamilton

Bethan Hamilton - Artist Statement

My studio practice is primarily drawing based. The recurring themes and interests within my practice vary but there is a lot of overlap in subject matter. These themes span from female identity and sexuality to postpartum womanhood, motherhood, and postpartum depression to climate anxiety, spirituality, divination, and the esoteric. 

‘Maiden l Mother l Crone’ is an ongoing series of works exploring the role of the physical female form as a spiritual symbol and feminine archetypes. Throughout human history, the female body has been used as a symbol within a variety of cultural, spiritual, and religious contexts. Bethan is interested in exploring conflicting cultural perspectives, the paradox of the ‘female muse’ and the simultaneously empowering and reductive scaffolds of goddess feminism.

Are women divine, empowered beings worthy of worship? Or is it a woman's purpose to be objectified and silenced? Is fertility and reproduction the sole purpose of the ‘goddess’? Is the concept of the ‘goddess’ even feasible within a patriarchal framework? It is this dichotomy that inspires my work. Women's bodies have always been a topic of discussion within the arts, politics, and religion. The control of our bodies has informed laws and defined cultural and social discourse. At birth, our bodies were assigned meaning and significance that we never consented to. 

While working on this series, my drawings and their composition have been greatly influenced by my research into Goddess theology, Neolithic figurines, Neoclassical painting, Greek mythology, polytheistic religions, religious iconography, sacred geometry and esoteric archetypes. However, my research and work continues to grow and evolve, and I’m excited to see this series continue to develop.