Think Damsel in Distress, and who springs to mind? There are plenty in literature, film and popular culture to choose from. For me, it has to be Penelope Pitstop, sqealing “hay-ulp” while struggling in the grasp of The Hooded Claw (boo hiss). While classic storytelling is filled with women in dire need of a knight in shining armour, these days, thanks to empowered characters such as Buffy and Lara Croft, Damsels are as likely to kick Distress in the bollocks themselves – with an accompanying quip that the 1980s Mel Gibson would’ve been proud of.
When Manchester illustrator Stanley Chow sat down to draw some fairytale characters for his daughter, deep into the Disney phase, the idea quickly grew. Starting with Snow White and Rapunzel, Stanley broadened the scope to the larger topic of Damsels in Distress, and the resulting collection of illustrations is currently on show at Kosmonaut – the site of the former venue that hosted his first collection in his home city in 1996. Instantly recognisable, clean and dynamic, his beautiful Damsels are escaping on 8 January, so you’ll have to run for your lives to catch them in time.
Photography, Rebecca Lupton
