Totem I
Oil on Canvas, 2026
90 x 120 cm
Part of the Inner Worlds exhibition at Seventh Circle, Totem I forms part of an evolving series of paintings exploring shifting emotional states through repetition, fragmentation and subtle psychological change.
Originally rooted in portraiture, the work gradually moved beyond likeness into something more unstable and internal. The stacked compositions began to function almost like moving frames, where small shifts in expression, tension and gaze carried emotional weight across the surface.
Created in Birmingham in 2026, the work forms part of the wider Totem series by Emma Woolley.
Featured Products
Inner States
An exhibition by Emma Woolley
A 32-page exhibition book accompanying Inner States, a solo exhibition of figurative paintings by Birmingham artist Emma Woolley.
Featuring works from the Totem series and other paintings exploring identity, emotion and the different parts of ourselves.
Published in 2026.
A2 exhibition poster from the Inner States series by Emma Woolley.
Printed in Birmingham.