ART: SARAH PEREUX

PRETTY PAWS

"Amelia" (2019) from the Pretty Paws series
Graphite on paper, 5 x 7 inches each

"Giovani" (2019) from the Pretty Paws series
Graphite on paper, 5 x 7 inches each

"Trinity" (2019) from the Pretty Paws series
Graphite on paper, 5 x 7 inches each

"Rosie" (2019) from the Pretty Paws series
Graphite on paper, 5 x 7 inches each

"Callie" (2019) from the Pretty Paws series
Graphite on paper, 5 x 7 inches each

"Willow" (2019) from the Pretty Paws series
Graphite on paper, 5 x 7 inches each

Pretty Paws is an on-going series of miniature graphite drawings, depicting severed beaver hands and feet with manicured nails. This series accentuates the natural lengthy shape of beaver claws by applying playful, over-the-top nail art. These nails embrace the kitsch, meaning excessive and tacky ornamentation, which is absurd on both beaver hands and as a beauty standard for women. The application of this artificial beauty onto the decaying beaver appendages creates an uneasy tension by referring to the outstanding issue of cosmetic testing on animals. 


Sarah Pereux is a Canadian artist currently working in Toronto, Ontario. She is an undergraduate student in the joint Art and Art History program at the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College. Working primarily in drawing, her work explores questions concerning environmental ethics, consumerism, and empathy. She uses the alluring aesthetics of monochromatic graphite to create an attraction-repulsion effect that occurs once the viewer dissects the subject-matter of the image.