“Having spent two collections and almost ten months exploring this idea of Softness, I’ve come to appreciate that the curiosity and intrigue for me lies in the invitation it offers - softening can be a moment of surrender; a shift in perspective mentally and somatically where discomfort can transform into something more tender.”

 

​Each work in this collection explores the tension and release between opposing emotional states—acceptance and judgment, openness and contraction, comfort and discomfort, irritation and calm, youthfulness and aging - states that Charlotte feels are deeply relevant to the relationship women have with their bodies.

“My focus has been on discovering the softness within these polarities, embracing vulnerability, and allowing beauty to emerge from discomfort - a journey which really required me to delve deep into my own relationship with my body, the times when I have softened, and the areas where perhaps I needed to.”
 

This exploration unfolds across several dominant elements. Compositionally, the figures mirror the organic curves of the flora, while the flowers reflect the internal states of the women.

Metaphorically, the use of still life and landscape alongside the figure allows complex emotional themes to be seen through a gentler lens, inviting a softer interpretation of difficult emotions.
 

Texturally, the treatment of skin flows from petal-like delicacy—where the figure represents the flora as seen in Does A Flower Ever Feel Lost Amongst The Spring Daisies—to rich, earthy tones, where the figure becomes suggestive of a larger landscape, as in Amidst the Magnolia and Water Lily I Discovered Some New.
 

In terms of color, earthy tones provide a subtle yet vibrant expression of emotional states, tempering intensity while retaining a powerful presence.

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Ultimately, Beautiful Mess is not only about the figures or flora but also the spaces in between—the transitions, the unspoken moments of change, and the ways we seek comfort in our own internal landscapes. This theme was further highlighted through an interactive experience with guests at the Beautiful Mess private show, who were invited to reflect on their own relationships with their bodies and consider how they, too, might soften.