In Angela Carter’s version of “Little Red Riding Hood,” the young female protagonist seduces the wolf who devoured her grandmother. It’s not hard to imagine the crimson-hooded girl with the laser-focused eyes in Grace Netanya’s “Little Red and The Wolf” doing something similar. In her story, the wolf is on Red’s side.
“Many Western fairy tales include the theme of a child or young woman being rescued by an outside force, often as a reward for her virtue,” says Grace, a mixed-media artist who’s likely aware of “Little Red”’s original ending: The poor girl is either gobbled up by the wolf or, in later versions, rescued from its belly by a woodsman’s axe. “I believe portraying these characters as the authors of their own fate makes them more relatable and grounded in reality,” Grace continues. “I’m careful not to erase the conflict or danger they face; rather, by emphasizing their agency, I hope to empower viewers who connect these stories to their own lives.”
Other characters inhabiting Grace’s colored-pencil-and-Coptic-marker universe include Medea, Hansel and Gretel, Eloise, and Medusa, usually cloaked in couture-worthy garments with vaguely magical properties. There are the crimson opera gloves and feathery Venetian mask in “The Little Pain.” Then there’s the sartorial genius of the white dress shirt in “Eclipse”—loose, slightly masculine, and covered in an army of rainbow-colored creepy crawlies. Placed in grey, often feral environments, the feminine, blood-red costuming in Grace’s work offers a stark contrast to the clean-cornered militancy of the masculine civilized world.
“I’m especially drawn to ‘wild women’ and non-human female figures like mermaids, nymphs, and harpies,” says Grace. “The connection between femininity and untamed nature fascinates me. Fables and mythology offer powerful parallels for those who feel ‘other,’ and I often turn to these stories for inspiration when creating characters who exist in the space between alluring and dangerous.” Horror and romance, life and death, lightness and darkness—all of these elements mingle in Grace’s characters and manifest in their colors and clothing.
Costuming has long played a transformative role in fairy tales, from Cinderella’s wildly optimistic glass slippers to Dorothy’s slightly more practical ruby red ones. Like Dorothy, Grace’s heroines wear costumes that transcend fabric and thread, transforming them into fierce sovereigns of the deep, dark woods.
Scroll through to read our interview with Grace Netanya, then head to our April 2025 exhibition, Creatures: Mythical to Mundane, to see her submission.
In Today’s Q+Art Interview…
Grace Netanya discusses fashion as a “seriously underrated” creative ritual, the quirky tool she uses to keep her drawings clean and crisp, and how social media algorithms damage the natural ebb and flow of the creative process.
How do you like to start your day?
Grace Netanya: I like to go for a walk or at least get outside for a bit.
What's your favorite creative ritual?
GN: Getting dressed. I think fashion as a creative practice is seriously underrated. Personally, I am happiest and healthiest when I’m expressing my creativity through as many different areas of my life as possible. Life is mostly made up of small moments, like getting dressed, so these moments are even more important when it comes to pursuing a creative life.
What's playing in your studio right now? Make us a mini playlist.
GN: I listen to completely different things based on what I’m working on. For most of my pieces, I create themed playlists, but I often get bored in a couple of days and go back to listening to podcasts and audiobooks.
What's something you keep in your studio that would surprise us?
GN: Even though I use pencils and ink primarily, I always have a fan blender brush on hand. I use it to whisk away loose graphite as I draw, so I avoid smearing!
Is art school worth the money?
GN: I wouldn’t know; I’ve only taken a semester's worth of art classes. I will say I have been jealous of the creative community that art school grads often have. However, I know that going to art school is not the only way to find other artists.
What role does the artist have in society?
GN: I think that being an artist includes much more than just producing art. The initial creation happens in the mind, after all. I think that an artist’s role is to live a life dedicated to creativity and beauty, and to transmute your internal experience into something concrete. Hopefully, by openly pursuing authentic creative expression, you will inspire those around you to embrace creativity as well.
What do you dislike about the art world? How would you change it if you could?
GN: There is a lot of pretentiousness and petty competition. Many artists view other artists as threats, while art organizations prioritize making money off artists desperate to share their work rather than working with artists to find their audience and profit together.
I’m also not a fan of how social media commodifies art into mass-produced content. The ability to share your work with a wide audience is great, but social media is tailored to reward those who produce quickly and often. I don’t think this is great for art.
What do you do to maintain your mental health?
GN: Have a well-balanced life. It’s really easy as an artist to place your entire identity and sense of fulfillment on your work. There is a stereotype of the “obsessed artist” who stays in their studio, in a creative frenzy, and forgets about the world. This idea is often romanticized, but it’s not healthy. It’s important to invest in interests other than your art. You can’t be an art-making machine, and artists who live interesting lives make more interesting art anyhow!
Grace Netanya: Website | Instagram
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. All images published with permission of Grace Netanya. Featured images: ‘Little Red and The Wolf.’