Studio International

Published 20/07/2015

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

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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