Mythology and Cultural Beliefs
Statements for artwork in this section read from left to right - - scroll to view!
Goddess
Gina Alusi
This collection is inspired by empowerment through Divine Feminine Energy. A term in spirituality connects the feminine energy, the divine power, and the earth into one, which is part of all of us. The women, with their colors and characteristics, intertwine with the background, a background inspired by the movement and colors of Mother Earth. The entire painting translates into a woman connected to her creative power, divinity, uniqueness and intuition. She is strong and empowered, but at the same time, she is gentle, emotional, sensual, intuitive, and feminine.
The Authentic Pare Watene
Roxxann Murphy
This is a portrait of Pare Watene, a Māori Chieftainess. She was said to be “the most handsome woman of her village”. Something about her tattoo (moko kauae) indicated so much more than her royalty to me. I imagined an ethereal version of Pare covered in liquid patterns showing just how regal she was.
The Trinity
Kuwantu Cammon
Currently, My research has been on the Haniwa ("clay cylinder" or "circle of clay" in Japanese) are primarily hollow, earthenware funerary objects found in Japan. This body of work I created, entitled The Trinity,' is a raw, simplistic interpretation of surviving the pain of being a single black mother in a society that mocked her for lack of toughness and femininity. These ceramic pieces are a tribute to single moms and come directly from the experiences I saw from my mom growing up. She is and will always be my Prosecutor, Judge, and Executioner in life's courtroom.
My Prosecutor -She tries to convict the accused who did wrong to her.
My Judge: She always gave her opinion or conclusion about everything.
My Executioner- She carries out a sentence of punishment or reprimand.
She Says The Cold Will Clear My Mind
Lauren Kelly
I worry about traversing blizzards in life, like that through which two women walk in She Says The Cold Will Clear My Mind (2023), but the legacies of other women remind me that there is no sense in worrying. Where I fall into my own head, they stand in quiet resolve. The Earth needs to rest in winter, they say; and like an icy rinse to loosen a stain, they tell me the winter air can cleanse a troubled mind. They remind me that acceptance is not naivety, but the firm commitment to outlasting present challenges. These periods of deafening quiet with all their shocking cold bring a new breath of life for those willing to receive it.
Created Beautiful (Eve)
Dahlia Mitchell
I'm fascinated with discovering synergy with mix-mediums, textures, and the use of repurposing common items in unconventional ways. My creative process begins with a beautiful, chaotic color story on canvas, that eventually gives birth to either a face or a silhouette. It's an artistic "Meet Cute" of sorts. I'm inspired by the strength of everyday women from all walks of life. My purpose is to shine a light on our collective beauty, so that we may see ourselves in each other, and appreciate ourselves for what we are; "A Master Piece".
Persephone
VC Torneden
Persephone is taken from an ongoing series of paintings and photographs about mothers and daughters. The photograph refers to the story of the Greek goddess Persephone/Kore. The goddess of spring and resurrection as well as of the dead and destruction, her duality and the myth surrounding her character is a long standing symbol of feminine strength and empowerment.
Strawberries
Lauren Kelly
Strawberries are synonymous with summer, love, womanhood, and the little gifts that threaten to pass us by if we don't make the most of them while they're here. In Potawatomi, we call them heart berries. In Strawberries (2022), dripping with the soft blue glow of her own vital soul, a woman gazes forward openly. "Do you believe you are worthy of the fleeting joys around you? Of your own complex beauty, your own ancestral strength, your own miraculous aging, your own infectious laughter?" she asks. For some who aren't convinced, she'll follow up, "Why not?"
Muse
Gina Alusi
This collection is inspired by empowerment through Divine Feminine Energy. A term in spirituality connects the feminine energy, the divine power, and the earth into one, which is part of all of us.The women, with their colors and characteristics, intertwine with the background, a background inspired by the movement and colors of Mother Earth.
The entire painting translates into a woman connected to her creative power, divinity, uniqueness, and intuition. She is strong and empowered, but at the same time, she is gentle, emotional, sensual, intuitive, and feminine.