Artemis draws inspiration from the exaggerated postures and undulating lines of Shunga prints, yet transforms their iconic sensuality into something entirely her own. Eschewing the stark, defining outlines typical of woodblock prints, Simnett instead uses luscious stains of color to create a dreamlike, surreal atmosphere. Her depictions of interspecies lust range from scenes of gentle erotic play to more forceful, primal capture, at times suggesting a rapturous sense of becoming animal—an immersion, or even surrender, to pleasure and pain.
Simnett’s interest in Shunga doesn’t merely stem from its formal qualities; rather, it is rooted in the art form’s philosophical underpinnings, which explores the delicate relationship between notions of the fleeting, the impermanent, and the transient, and the devouring desires of the flesh.
