Figurative paintings by Korin Faught that mark the importance of family during darker times

On show at LA's Corey Helford Gallery until 7 August, it's the first solo show from Faught since she exhibited her Lost Days series in 2016. As we've seen in previous works, the main focus of her art revolves around twins or triplets – offering "multiple poses of the same model", so we see both "one moment and all moments".

What's changed since her earlier paintings is that Faught has since become a mother, something the artist believes has changed everything. "My body had gone rogue — transforming into a nature vessel with life bursting from every part of me — a tree laden with fruit, a flower blooming. Moreover, I felt this obsessive love and need to defend and protect my family. With the pandemic raging, my family's home became a sanctuary, an extension of my own body. These paintings are about family and protection. My family is the garden and I am the gardener."

In Viridescent, Faught explores motherhood, sanctuary, and the parallels between gardens and familial life – something that was only heightened throughout the pandemic. "During Covid many of us felt more strongly about protecting ourselves and those most delicate and dear to us, like our children," she says.

"Domesticity took on new meaning, it became cloistered and as our lives slowed down and our focus narrowed, we began to take time to care for what mattered in a more intense way. Children, like plants and flowers, rely completely on our care and protection to be able to flourish and grow ─ and the similarities are not limited to nourishment, light, and moisture. Chlorophyll has an almost identical chemical structure as blood. I have bundled my figures safely in cloth as if 'buried' or 'planted' in a 'womb-like' state. The multiples of the figures show duality of emotions and perspectives."

She continues: "Knowing the context of when these paintings were created, you can begin to understand a quiet, light, and radiance of spirit as my counterpoint to the fear and extremism of the outside world, a place of peacefulness and embodiment of our desires to be cared for by a mother figure. In these new works, the maternal figure is depicted in control of her environment, reminiscent of painters such as Marie Cassatt. As the noise of life quieted down, I found time for self-reflection and introspection, these portraits give the viewer a window into the garden of my life that I have created."

Viridescent by Korin Faught is now on show at LA's Corey Helford Gallery until 7 August. Discover more of her work at www.korinfaught.com.