In Ovid's Metamorphoses, the myth describes how Jupiter pursues and molesters the river nymph Io, hidden in a dark cloud to hide his actions from his wife, Juno, who rightly suspects him of adultery.
In Correggio’s painting from 1530 this meeting is depicted as a seductive encounter between the two, despite the stories describing her as fleeing from the god.
To deliver the power back into Io’s hands, I recreated the scene to offer a more balanced, female-empowering interpretation of the story.
(This aligns deeply with my values, but also honours my own sensibilities as a survivor of sexual transgression.)
Here Io is purposefully depicted on her own, a figure of contemplation and strength, curiously reaching out, mesmerised and drawn by the allure of the dark clouds (representing a stormy and possibly illegal love).
As a subtle counter-note, the dark cat appears at her side, both a witchy protector and a symbol of emotional strength and female sexuality.
This Renaissance inspired self-portrait was created for the inaugural exhibition of The Royal House of Medici during Miami Art Week 2022.
