Artist of the Quarantine: Ann Dawkins

"My work is a visual investigation of the disconnection one can feel with their body. As a human, it can often feel that your body is an external object that is not within your control; that your physical being is prison or an enemy that is unpredictable, vulnerable, and susceptible to outside forces of evil, deception, and disease," said Ann Dawkins. "Rotten fruit has become a deliberate metaphor for me through linguistic research. To rot can, by definition, mean all manner of corruption. Fruit is often used in connection, spanning back to biblical times, with women, their sins, and sexuality, as well as their ability to produce life. The term fleshy is used only to describe fruit and the human body, often women’s bodies, which are deemed “soft and thick” just like the tissue of a fruit.

"The work manifested after I was diagnosed with a chronic illness, and has served as both a representation of the impact that diagnosis has had on my place as a young woman in society, as well as a daily documentation of its effects."

Visit anndawkins.com.