In Dowling’s Returning the gaze series the artist references the trend of miniature eye portraits which were traditionally painted with watercolour on ivory in the late 18th to early 19th century. The works which feature brightly coloured painted and embroidered eyes with 80s inspired makeup are titled after a concept by American television writer Joey Soloway.
“Returning the gaze” is one part of Soloway’s definition of the female gaze and acts as a deliberate subversion of traditional cinematic power dynamics. Soloway suggests that the concept represents the point at which the subject of historical objectification actively looks back at the viewer. Rather than allowing characters to remain passive objects of desire, this framework shifts agency entirely, declaring: “I see you seeing me, and I don’t want to be the object any longer.”
Returning the gaze (green, pink, blue), 2026, hand embroidery, cotton thread and acrylic paint on linen, hardwood tray frame, 11.5 x 11.5 x 2cm, photos by Tobias Titz
