Prickling, Piercing, and the Potential for Pain, an inaugural solo presentation from artist Emma Alice Coppola is set to debut at the Keyes Art Night on Thursday, 5th of December. The exhibition, displayed in the Atrium of Keyes Art Mile, consists of traditionally printed works on paper as well as video.
By merging form with the functional and highlighting materiality, Coppola challenges viewers to confront their perceptions of the body and its boundaries. Informed by feminist theory and sensory phenomena, Coppola creates a dialogue between the intimate and the strange, by interrupting the familiarity of the body to create her central site of inquiry.
Prickling, Piercing, and the Potential for Pain creates an unsettling environment where viewers navigate a delicate balance between allure and unease, the physical and psychological, attraction and aversion, perception and reality—highlighting discomfort as a powerful tool for examining intricacies of existence.
Audiences are invited to linger in their discomfort, using it as a lens to explore their physical awareness and question their thresholds of comfort.
About the artist
Emma Alice Coppola (b. 2001, Johannesburg) is an emerging artist and honours candidate in Fine Art at the University of Johannesburg. Having developed a fascination for visual arts from a young age, her creative journey was initially shaped by mentorship with South African artist Robyn Penn and a robust foundation in design and visual arts throughout her secondary education. Working predominantly in intaglio printmaking, particularly zinc etching, Coppola’s practice extends to sculpture and film as essential forms of expression.
Coppola’s influences range widely across visual and philosophical domains, drawing inspiration from South African artists Diane Victor, Mary Sibande, and Judith Mason, alongside philosopher Julia Kristeva and director Peter Greenaway. Her work interrogates the complex intersections of identity, autonomy, and the politics of the female body, channelling personal experiences and social reflections. Engaging with theories of abjection and feminist discourse, Coppola’s practice becomes a layered articulation of self and identity, inviting viewers into a shared narrative of vulnerability, resilience, and the pursuit of connection.