Emma Cousin: ‘Humour is the most important thing’

Studio International visited Transition Gallery in east London to speak to Cousin about painting, inspiration and teaching her grandma how to swim

Emma Cousin’s work is rooted in wordplay and daily experience and, while drawing is often her starting point, once the brush touches the canvas, her paintings take on a vibrant life of their own. They ask us not to take the world too seriously and inject humour into the mundane, exploring the unchallenged rituals of the everyday. But a serious question underlies her imagery. Why do we do the things we do?

Interview by EMILY SPICER
Filmed by MARTIN KENNEDY