Noel Waite 2025

Abstract

My paintings examine the symbolic power of the faery figure through the lens of ancient Pagan Irish mythology and contemporary feminist critique. Drawing on the Tuatha Dé Danann myth, the work examines the entanglement of nature, femininity, and marginalization. The project is an 18-foot double-sided curved canvas depicting reimagined faery beings who embody a vast spectrum of behaviors—from nurturing to vengeful, from benevolent to perilous. This work functions as a form of "practical fantasy," engaging with historical and contemporary notions of faeries while also processing personal experiences. The myth reflects the tension between reality and fantasy, expressing both feminine power and the social structures that confine it. Far from mere creatures of idyllic beauty, the Tuatha Dé symbolize change, defiance, and transformation against societal norms. They signify an eternal metamorphosis cycle, a rebellion against conformity, and a celebration of individual transcendence. Their essence predates Christian patriarchy, rooted in oral tradition, mystery, and imagination. They are timeless spirits, guardians of birth, life, and death mysteries. With the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, traditional supernatural beliefs merged with dogma that sought to control women's bodies, leading to the demonization of the fae as the desire to control women and the fear of the feminine body became intertwined. By reimagining the myth, this work explores feminist anxieties and the long history of misogyny embedded in the figure of the fairy.