About
Rachel Coyne (b.1988) is an Irish Artist working in London.
The last Magdalene Laundry didn’t close until 1996, when Coyne was just eight years old. From 1767, the Magdalene Laundry was the destination for any woman or girl seen as a threat to the Catholic Church. This included women who were raped, became pregnant out of wedlock, or were simply considered “too attractive.” In these institutions, they endured forced labour and abuse, and unwed mothers had their babies taken from them and adopted abroad. It wasn’t until 2018 that abortion was legalised in Ireland for the first time.
Coyne’s work is deeply rooted in feminism, social justice, and exposing the patriarchal structures of power that shape our world. As an Irish woman, she is particularly interested in the historical and ongoing role of women – how their place in society has evolved, and how far they still have to go.
As the artist reflects on this history, Coyne also considers how patriarchy harms men. Raised to suppress their emotions and embrace hyper-masculinity, many men suffer from mental health issues and high suicide rates. The rise of far-right groups that promote misogyny coincides with an increase in femicide and domestic violence, all rooted in patriarchal oppression.
In her recent work, Coyne has shifted from focusing solely on female bodies to exploring male bodies, sometimes twisted and intertwined in angst. Looking to how men were painted in the Renaissance period, full of emotion and vulnerability and comparing this style to the ideal of the macho patriarchal society. Through the use of pinks and flesh tones, Rachel Coyne aims to highlight the softer vulnerability of men – shedding light on the toxic expectations placed on them by patriarchal constructs, and how those expectations hurt both women and men.