Jazmin MacDowall
[she/her]
BA Communication and Media Studies, 4th year
As a critical theorist with a passion for visual culture I’m drawn to transgressive acts of self actualization through artistic practices. Exploring and unsettling who you are through creativity is fascinating to me. I find art to be a beautiful way to balance the conscious with the subconscious, and ask not only yourself but viewers to look inward. Art is inherently subversive and, though ephemeral, can have lasting impacts. I use art to articulate my inactive performances as a person and what that looks like in my contemporary existence.
Horse girl, 2026, Acrylic and gouache on canvas, 12" x 16”
horse girl, 2026, Acrylic and gouache on canvas, 12" x 16”
Inspired by my undergraduate thesis, which argues the rejection of visual traditionalism in the pursuit of self actualization can result in a form of positive transgression, this piece articulates transgressive narration of young femininity. Utilizing surrealist techniques of compulsive beauty and the uncanny, the work calls for introspection, highlighting the sexual exploration of young girls, evoking the sense of discomfort that coincide with such a topic. As with all my work, the goal is to create discourse, even if it’s simply with oneself.