Izzie Beirne
London
Izzie Beirne creates paintings which play between the seductive and the sinister. Power runs through all aspects of Beirne’s work as she comments on patriarchal and capitalist power and the power dynamic between viewer and creator.
Beirne is interested in how women are portrayed in the media and how social media is now used as a patriarchal tool. The patriarchy has always used beauty standards to control women and now with social media women have to look perfect whilst also having perfect views, otherwise they are vilified or cancelled online.
Beirne’s work is seductive in nature and she uses this to comment on the female erotic and pleasure. She wants female pleasure to be demystified and destigmatised which starts by introducing better sex education. Young people now grow up with the internet and many young people’s first experiences of sex is through porn after inadequate sex education. In Beirne’s eyes this then leads to a very problematic outlook on gender hierarchies and sex, as most mainstream porn shows women being roughly used for male gratification.
The sinister aspect of her work comments on sexual violence and trauma which she believes is an epidemic in modern day society. She wants to open up the conversation about the failings of our institutional structures and how we can stop this cycle of violence.
Exhibitions
OnHold - Goldsmiths - February 2022
Let Us Eat Cake - Pineapple Black, Middlesbrough - July 2021
New Tenants - Online - March 2021
Cultivate Presents (And With Good) Reason - Online - June 2020
Uncanny Characters - The Bowery, Leeds - December - January 2019 - 2020
Free Range – The Old Truman Brewery, London – July 2019
Blinked – Leeds Arts University, Leeds – June 2019
Girls Shitting Money in the Wind – Open Source Arts, Leeds – May 2019
Female Gaze – Old Red Bus Station, Leeds – March 2019
Two – Wharf Chambers, Leeds – May 2018
Y Not? – Wharf Chambers, Leeds – May 2017
Education
MFA Fine Art - Goldsmiths University (2021-2023)
BA Fine Art – Leeds Arts University (2019)
Contact