Illustrator Corey Wash’s red figure is both relatable and ethereal

A startling red figure stands on the illustrator’s digital canvas, but its actions and essence feel like a visual representation of the human psyche.

Date
25 January 2024

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The work of Corey Wash often verges on existentialism. Starting her journey with art after a move to New York in 2011, at the time, she could be found creating abstract paintings and installations. Now her horizons are set within the worlds of illustration and video works too.

In Corey’s illustrations, there is often a figure that stands out on the canvas, surrounded by a congregation of others and (a lot of) plants, but they still seem to be alone. Possessing an equally grounding and ethereal quality, they partake in everyday activity such as drinking wine – lots of wine – while also baring wings and floating. Noting that her work is “often biographical,” she has recently broadened her perspective, looking at “the present and future state of the world in the age of ‘too much information’”. Currently in the process of creating a series that deals with these themes, she is now focused on everybody else, and depicting our supposed future, be it our survival or extinction.

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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Corey Wash: Untitled (Copyright © Corey Wash)

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About the Author

Yaya Azariah Clarke

Yaya (they/them) was previously a staff writer at It’s Nice That. With a particular interest in Black visual culture, they have previously written for publications such as WePresent, alongside work as a researcher and facilitator for Barbican and Dulwich Picture Gallery.

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