Catharsis

This piece, titled Catharsis by Trudy, measures 16 x 20 inches and is created using oil pastels and oil paint on mixed media paper. It is a bold and intimate rendering, both in its visual impact and emotional depth. Through this work, Trudy explores the deeply personal journey of coming to terms with her natural features and, perhaps for the first time in adulthood, learning to love them without hesitation or apology.

The composition is direct and confrontational, yet holds a space for peace. The striking greyscale tones emerge powerfully from the centre of the piece. Her eyes are closed, her full lips relaxed, as if in a state of quiet acceptance or meditation. There is no background in the usual sense. Instead, her hair, thick with texture and painted in layered earth tones of burnt umber, ochre, and deep gold, fills the entire frame. It is both a crown and a shield, embracing her presence with pride and intensity.

Catharsis by Trudy C. T. Phillip

The use of oil pastels and oil paint creates a richly textured surface. Her skin, shaded with silvery highlights and deep shadows, carries a sculptural quality, as though chiseled from stone yet softened by light. Her features are strong: a broad nose, full lips, high cheekbones — all given full attention, not softened or altered, but honoured.

The eyes, closed and painted with warm gold lids edged with subtle reds, become the emotional centre of the piece. They suggest a turning inward, a moment of stillness where healing or reckoning is taking place. It feels ceremonial; a shedding of old perceptions and the quiet claiming of something that was always hers.

The title Catharsis is fitting. This work is a release. Trudy’s use of bold contrasts and rich, earthy textures mirrors the emotional weight behind the subject’s transformation. In choosing to represent herself this way, the artist not only celebrates her features but also confronts the deeper layers of identity, self-perception, and even cultural memory.

The viewer is invited not just to look, but to feel. To witness a moment of inward liberation, and perhaps reflect on their own.