Brooke Elliott’s series Ingenuous responds to the challenges of growing up as a female in the 21st Century. She aims to communicate the emotions and deep feelings that arise when painting a picture of her younger self onto the canvas. Creating these works has allowed her to feel the emotions that come with being told to “smile more” – and to accept those past experiences.

Elliott’s work is fluid, guided by the emotions behind the images and the experience of showing vulnerability in the creation of the work. In the process, she introduces handwriting and small symbols taken from artworks created by her younger self, at the age of five. The creation of the work offered a sense of inner peace and personal justice, captured in her use of bold brushstrokes and vivid colours.