Soccer is often called “the beautiful game,” a really abstract way to describe the artistry that occurs on the field. The individual flicks, touches, dribbles, and passes that seemingly create something out of nothing. The heroes that are born. The way this sport brings people together like no other. In women’s soccer, the “beautiful game” has come to take on even more meaning. Think of the hard but rewarding struggle to feel equal, to be apart of something that spreads joy and empowerment.
English artist Ruth Davis has brought these most powerful concepts from the grass to canvas. Through her drawings and paintings, Davis has energized the qualities of the “beautiful game” in a one-of-a-kind way.
Soccer was quite literally in the air and elements in the environment Davis was raised. Liverpool, one of soccer culture’s richest sites, was an ideal soil for a future soccer artist to grow up. Moving southeast to hone her craft, Davis then trained at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.
Working and living in Brighton, England, Davis began her practice a year ago. 2019 would provide an incredible dose of inspiration for the artist in the Women’s World Cup.
Her piece “All Hexodot Everything” would be a game-changer. It perfectly captured two big themes of the tournament: growing “women’s soccer fever” and the powerful, rebel energy of the women’s soccer trailblazer. Generating buzz, Davis was then invited to Paris to display the painting in an exhibit during the tournament. The artist who uniquely examines gender in women’s soccer subjects and the world’s largest women’s soccer event that pushed boundaries like never before…the perfect duo.
Since then, her body of work has continued to grow in number and power. Her pieces ask us to think about what it means to be a women’s soccer player right now. Her work portrays the passion, in the kiss of a crest, or Lucy Bronze subtly donning Lionesses all over her skin. There is also, however, a different kind of “heart” bursting from these female players. Many of the portraits look us, the viewer, in the eye. In holding her gaze, we are met with a feeling that firmly says: “I am here. This sport is for me.”
Davis’ work has been featured in several reputable online publications and prominent social media accounts. British Vogue, Grazia in France, Mundial, and Shinzo Paris are just a few of the outlets that have showcased her work. We became aware of it during the Women’s World Cup this summer through Cacahuètes Sluts a women’s team that straddles the intersections of art, culture and soccer. Davis’s art is all over their Instagram @cacahuetessluts and we knew we had to get to know the talented artist. We reached out to her recently and asked if we could work with some of her paintings and we were lucky enough to be able to us some of her images.
Girls Soccer Network is proud to support Ruth Davis and spread a little piece of the beautiful game wherever we can.