"Feminine Strength" invites viewers to explore the beautiful and strong facets of the feminine, echoing ELiTY Art's commitment to breaking boundaries and fostering a space that transcends traditional definitions or art, but also, in this case, of what it means to be feminine.
By Dora Derado Giljanović, PhD :
"While each side of a woman's nature represents a separate entity with different functions and discriminate knowledge, they must, like the brain with its corpus callosum, have a knowing or a translation of one another and therefore function as a whole. If a woman hides one side or favors one side too much, she lives a very lopsided life which does not give her access to her entire power." - Clarissa Pinkola Estés
In choosing to name the exhibition "Feminine Strength," we are leaning precisely into both sides of Woman, acknowledging, as Jungian psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés terms it, the "strength of Two." Carl Gustav Jung himself might have called this the anima and animus - the feminine within the masculine and the masculine within the feminine. Or, rather, the "wild" and "woman" parts of the Wild Woman.
In line with Carl Jung's concept of the Anima, the exhibition explores the diverse qualities associated with the feminine, including strength, pride, resilience, and audacity. The selection of artists, irrespective of their gender or sex, emphasizes the universality of the feminine force within everyone.
Likewise, the exhibition space speaks for itself. A hair salon-cum-gallery, it has a dual function. It embodies what Virginia Woolf expressed in her seminal work A Room of One's Own, in which she voiced the need for women (albeit this can be expanded to people of all genders and sexes) to have a space of their own, where they can think and create freely. A hair salon - a space that is generally thought to be a space for women to share and confide in one another - is here turned into a space for creative freedom, celebrating all that the Feminine can be.
The title, inspired by Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, resonates with the advocacy for women to go beyond domestic confines and embrace creativity. But even more so - delve deeper into what it means to be feminine, transcending stereotypes in the process.
The exhibition showcases the works of six artists, each expressing a different aspect of femininity: Anne Beatriz, Christian Dittus, Mercedes Guenun, Hayo Sol, Loredana Macovei, and Gavin Mitchell.
One might contrast Anne Beatriz's abstract expressionist paintings, which possess a femininely elegant yet strong quality, with the more chaotic drip paintings of the 'macho' abstract expressionist generation to which Jackson Pollock belonged.
Similarly, Mercedes Guenun's light sculptures can be related to works of other light artists such as Donal Judd or Dan Flavin - compared to their neon lights, Guenun's pastel colos resonate with a certain gentleness; her diffused light being in harsh contrast with the intense neon of her male counterparts.
Christian Dittus's works, while being created by a man, advocate for every woman's right to be feminine in their own way. This may mean simply taking care of oneself (as depicted in his work Sunday Morning) or, perhaps, expressing one's sexuality, sensuality, creativity, and selfhood in whatever way one wishes (as embodied by his work Influencer or Only Fans?).
Meanwhile, Hayo Sol illistrates how the feminine may take on various different forms. His pop art portraits of Queen Elizabeth II can be interpreted as acceptance of femininity in its "golden years", while being contrasted to monumental pop art works such as Andy Warhol's Golden Marilyn, which depicts and glorifies a distinctly different view of beauty and femininity than does Sol.
Loredana Macovei's use of textured acrylic pearls brings to mind the more gentle, motherly associations to the feminine. Her White Cosmos, on the other hand, can be interpreted in a Jungian sense, contrasting cosmos to chaos, the anima to the animus; the creative and transformative forces of the universe (anima) to the rational, assertive, and more structured aspects of it (animus).
Gavin Mitchell's numerous geishas - taken from vintage Japanese postcards - push the boundaries of traditional femininity to the extreme, allowing these idealized figures to discard societal norms. While, in real life, one would not see a geisha looking at pornography or playing the electric guitar, Mitchell gives them the space to do whatever they desire, regardless of what society might expect of them. They thus transcend the "feminine mystique" - the unachievable ideal women are always striving to achieve. Or, in this case, the unnecessary, stereotypical idea of what being "feminine" might mean.
The exhibition showcases the works of six artists, each expressing a different aspect of femininity: Anne Beatriz, Christian Dittus, Mercedes Guenun, Hayo Sol, Loredana Macovei, and Gavin Mitchell.
One might contrast Anne Beatriz's abstract expressionist paintings, which possess a femininely elegant yet strong quality, with the more chaotic drip paintings of the 'macho' abstract expressionist generation to which Jackson Pollock belonged.
Similarly, Mercedes Guenun's light sculptures can be related to works of other light artists such as Donal Judd or Dan Flavin - compared to their neon lights, Guenun's pastel colos resonate with a certain gentleness; her diffused light being in harsh contrast with the intense neon of her male counterparts.
Christian Dittus's works, while being created by a man, advocate for every woman's right to be feminine in their own way. This may mean simply taking care of oneself (as depicted in his work Sunday Morning) or, perhaps, expressing one's sexuality, sensuality, creativity, and selfhood in whatever way one wishes (as embodied by his work Influencer or Only Fans?).
Meanwhile, Hayo Sol illistrates how the feminine may take on various different forms. His pop art portraits of Queen Elizabeth II can be interpreted as acceptance of femininity in its "golden years", while being contrasted to monumental pop art works such as Andy Warhol's Golden Marilyn, which depicts and glorifies a distinctly different view of beauty and femininity than does Sol.
Loredana Macovei's use of textured acrylic pearls brings to mind the more gentle, motherly associations to the feminine. Her White Cosmos, on the other hand, can be interpreted in a Jungian sense, contrasting cosmos to chaos, the anima to the animus; the creative and transformative forces of the universe (anima) to the rational, assertive, and more structured aspects of it (animus).
Gavin Mitchell's numerous geishas - taken from vintage Japanese postcards - push the boundaries of traditional femininity to the extreme, allowing these idealized figures to discard societal norms. While, in real life, one would not see a geisha looking at pornography or playing the electric guitar, Mitchell gives them the space to do whatever they desire, regardless of what society might expect of them. They thus transcend the "feminine mystique" - the unachievable ideal women are always striving to achieve. Or, in this case, the unnecessary, stereotypical idea of what being "feminine" might mean.
