Informed by her background in comic book illustration, American artist Koak (b. 1981) creates emotionally charged portraits, often of lone female figures, which she renders with graceful, sinuous lines and curvilinear forms in a range of materials, from oil and acrylic paint to the delicate mediums of chalk, graphite, charcoal and pastel. Imbuing her invented figures with a sense of agency and complex interiority, she seeks to subvert the historical objectification of women by male artists and reclaim the female gaze. In this picture, which deftly balances figurative and abstract elements, a young woman is depicted in a domestic setting, lost in her thoughts as she holds fragrant flowers to her nose. Initially, the soft pastel tones, floral wallpaper and the woman’s relaxed posture convey a sense of calm. However, the blooms have been ripped from their stems, which suggests an ominous undercurrent – a tension typical of Koak’s compositions.