Visual artist Madeleine Louise Follow.Art Card

About me

My practice is motivated by explorations of identity and the idea that we exist on several planes of existence simultaneously. I believe there is an identity we hold close to us that exists internally and is very rarely expressed outwardly. Then there is the outward identity - the one perceived by the world and by society - which doesn't necessarily consider what the internal identity would do. I'm interested in the dynamic between these two states: how they interact, complement, and contrast each other, and most importantly, how the self navigates between them.

As someone who often struggles to navigate this space, I use artistic practice as a form of therapy, discovery and acceptance. I don't see the power of art as resolving big questions or issues, bur rather as sitting with them - finding something meaningful within the uncomfortable process of becoming and being.

i'm drawn to materials that embody fluidity, layered complexity, and multiplicity. At the moment, this includes clear acrylic, tracing paper, mirrored surfaces and projection. I'm particularly interested in transparency and translucency - materials that can be layered to reflect the shifting, un-fixed and temporal nature of identity.

Text is also a significant part of my practice. Ironically, as someone who often struggles to express their feelings verbally, my work gives me a space to situate those vulnerabilities, while also allowing me to explore how I want to express myself - where, through what means, and why I find it difficult to articulate in the first place. This is a process I think is commonly felt throughout society, but perhaps existing quietly, so I aim to form meaningful connections for audiences that need it. I think words are often taken for granted as a mode of expression. In my work, text becomes more than this; it becomes a material itself - something that can be manipulated, distorted, and reframed, shifting from something familiar into something more ambiguous and open.