Clothing is a profoundly personal form of self-expression, and it is through their sartorial choices that the figures portrayed by German-born, Melbourne-based artist Carlotta Hey convey their feelings, dreams and desires. With a background in fashion, design and styling, Hey is intimately familiar with the way the human body is a vehicle for communication – “there is so much to discover about a human body by simply looking at it closely”, she says. The artist ensures that the body and its accoutrements take centre stage through her compositional choices, maintaining a limited palette alongside the judicious use of negative space. This gives her room to conjure the texture of materials, with the familiar sensations of a down jacket’s springy give, leather’s soft sheen, and the sharp gloss of a raincoat. Faces peek out from behind scarves and from under hats, but the viewer is left to decipher the subjects of Hey’s paintings from their body language. Her most recent works have been close to life size, enabling her audience to feel present with the portraits and face them as individuals. The works hint of strength and sorrow, with viewers left to admire the figures’ confidence or share in their vulnerability.
Above: Carlotta Hey, Red Hood, 2024. Watercolour, pastel and pencil, 42 x 59cm. Courtesy: the artist.
Carlotta Hey, Hibernation, 2024. Watercolour, pastel and pencil, 42 x 59cm.
Carlotta Hey, Overcast, 2024. Watercolour, pastel and pencil, 42 x 59cm.
Carlotta Hey, Out-side II, 2024. Watercolour, pastel and pencil, 42 x 59cm.