A Cone of Shame

Since 2012, my artwork has centred around the imagery of dogs, drawing from personal experiences to explore changes in family structures involving dogs and humans. On a broader scale, I examine the evolving social and historical roles of dogs. In my work, the dogs fall into two categories: one represents commodified, domesticated dogs, symbolising a capitalist lifestyle, often depicted in decorative or entertainment settings, such as drug detection dogs, guide dogs, or rescue dogs. The other category represents natural dogs, highlighting their animal instincts and displaying more primitive behaviours and postures.

These natural dogs frequently appear in wilderness settings, symbolising an equal relationship with humans. In 2016, I encountered a group of wild dogs by the riverside, an experience that left me both fearful and fascinated. I saw them not as pets, but as animals with an instinctive sense of wariness, embodying a state beyond human commodification. In that moment, there was no hierarchy—just two beings coexisting on Earth, looking at each other as equals.

My work primarily employs acrylic layering techniques, using the symbolic imagery of dogs to reveal the social relationships between humans and animals, and the tension between nature and capitalist life.