"Hayes’ work is stylistically surreal but philosophically different from the intentions of the original surrealists.
While her imagery emerges spontaneously, unconsciously they are synthesized and configured intentionally, consciously. She makes creative decisions intuitively or according to an emotional rather than logical sequence. This process is similar to child’s play where logic is relinquished and meaning is implied but the results are not always immediate or definitive.
She combines familiar and culturally recognizable objects and symbols in unfamiliar ways to evoke wonder and to explore the psychological and spiritual relationships we have within ourselves and with each other. Her images evoke a sense of mystery, risk, pain, and pleasure. They speak to the human psyche.
Hayes paints in a technically refined style. This clean control exaggerates the paradox and uncertainty evoked by the imagery. The tension between bright, carnivalesque colors and the soft, haunting flow of content, enhance a visceral tension emitted by psychological, social, and cultural narratives that permeate her work.
Hayes’ works tell stories of survival, desperation, yearning, and triumph. They transport us into the personal and collective unknown. Her images are seductive narratives of complexity and intensity, horror and humor, love and longing that lure us into the realm of mystery, magic and healing."