Cathy Daley

Cathy Daley’s black, oil-pastel silhouettes of women’s bodies reflect an enduring fascination with female form and identity. Depicting dainty and lithe female figures in dresses, tutus, gowns, and high heels, her images are inspired by fashion, fairytales, and Hollywood. Daley renders her subjects in thick black ink on almost translucent vellum, with vivacious, scrawling scribbles. The contrast between opaque ink and delicate paper creates a tension between weighty, striking forms and the lightness attributed to figures like ballerinas or fairies, suggesting an ambivalent attitude toward the mode of femininity she represents.