As widespread lockdowns swept the globe earlier this year in response to the threat of COVID-19, intimacy became fraught. For artist Käthe Butcher, the loss of an embrace or casual peck on the cheek was incredibly difficult. “The pandemic affected everyone differently. I always thought I am not that kind of person getting scared or/and paranoid easily, but in March I did. I panicked and felt very alone, which was one reason why I left London at the end of March to go back to my family. It was definitely the right decision,” she tells Colossal.

“T.S. Girl (Sleep Well)”

This desire for connection culminated in “A Hug In The Garden,” an emotional rendering of two women holding each other.[…]

“Setsuna”

More: Lyrical Illustrations by Käthe Butcher Explore Femininity, Emotion, and Human Intimacy