Charlie Henzi
About
Born in 2001, Seattle, USA, Charlie Henzi grew up in the UK just outside of London. In 2023, she graduated from Central Saint Martins, UAL with a first class honours. Now, at 23 years old, she is and working on her artistic practise while studying a Contemporary Art Practise MA at the Royal College of Art. Over the last four years she has been fascinated by images of women in popular culture, the gaze, the performed female, consumption and consumerism. After studying visual codes and language for years, she now creates works that draw directly from this and her personal experiences, that comment on the current zeitgeist.
Charlie Henzi creates work that explores themes of femininity, the gaze, and power through the medium of collage. She takes inspiration from images of woman and imagery around gender, how these images dominate contemporary image culture and provide a visual language in advertising and on social media. Influenced by her experiences as a woman, she delves into how visual codes and language are interpreted and internalised by individuals. Her practice addresses themes including sex, class, commodities, consumption, and fetishism, all while maintaining a humorous and playful undertone.
Her use of materials creates works that are often described as paintings – using materials in ways that transcend medium and subvert the meaning of what they depict through this. Through a unique collage technique, Henzi offers a compelling exploration of how gender and identity are constructed and perceived in today’s image-saturated world. The pieces are characterised by neat, exact execution – mirroring the curated nature of femininity. The blurred backgrounds add depth, while distinct individual elements on the surface demand attention. By keeping the underlying narrative private, Henzi invites engagement and exploration within each piece. Only revealing a title and the imagery before you, Henzi challenges traditional notions of power and the gaze – leaving the audience guessing, wondering, and adding their own meaning.
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