BRAMA, April 28, 2003, 9:00 am ET
Press Release
What image represents woman? One Ukrainian artist's view
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Katerina Korniychuk was recently featured
at the International Museum of Women located in San Francisco. The exhibit titled
"Women of the World: A Global Collection of Art" will be hosted next in Mobile Alabama.
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"I use different printing techniques, but I prefer original graphics, where
I can combine printing and handmade work," says the artist Katerina Kornichuk. Ms. Kornichuk (b. 1960, Ukraine) has been in exhibition in Ukraine, the United States,
Canada, Russia, England, and France. Kornichuk has received various honors,
including a Soros Foundation grant. Her work is in public and private
collections on the Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. She is the art
director of an ad agency and has worked in stage and costume design.
Women of the World: A Global Collection of Art
Moorer Gallery - Website
Friday July 25 2003 through Sunday September 28 2003
Small scale works, in various media, made by women from 177 countries around the world expressing their view of the essential qualities of "woman."
Exhibition Themes
What image represents woman?
A guiding concept for the International Museum of Women is to offer educational and
entertaining programs and exhibits for adults, youth and children alike. Written into its mission
statement, IMOW seeks to "explore the history of women and contemporary gender issues,
and, through education, serve as a catalyst for continued social, cultural, economic and
political change."
So, it is not surprising that a great deal of thought has gone into the design of educational
activities around the Women of the World exhibit. At the beginning of the exhibit area, the
viewer is introduced to five themes that reflect aspects of the life experiences of many of the
world's women. We hope these themes will raise viewer consciousness on critical women's
issues, provide background for the imagery, and encourage a deeper understanding of
similarities and differences among women's experiences globally. The five themes are:
1. REFLECTIONS ON THE FEMALE IDEAL
2. MAKING WOMEN'S INVISIBLE WORK VISIBLE
3. WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
4. CIRCLE OF LIFE
5. CELEBRATING WOMEN'S POWER
1). REFLECTIONS ON THE FEMALE IDEAL:
Societies often judge women by how they measure up to specific cultural expectations of
female image and behavior. Some exhibit artists engage in a social critique of these ideals by
bringing attention to centuries-old pressures on women to attain a culturally specific yet often
impossible physical ideal. Their imagery prompts us to question how women continue to submit
to various methods of disfiguration and even mutilation in the painful pursuit of "beauty."
Others depict women in postures of submission as a result of societal pressures to repress
outspoken views and to display modesty. Some images speak of rude awakenings when
powerful fairytales about "beautiful princesses" are shattered by everyday realities.
2). MAKING WOMEN'S INVISIBLE WORK VISIBLE:
Artists' images illuminate women's unpaid work at home, in agriculture, and in the production
and selling of items for every day use. Although it is estimated that women's work produces
up to a third of the global GDP (Gross Domestic Product), these forms of labor often remain
unnoticed by those who compile statistics. Women's household work, parenting, volunteer and
mutual aid work, care for the old and sick, home-based production, subsistence agriculture,
and casual trading, are all essential ingredients of the glue that holds family and community
together.
3). WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS:
In the past few decades there has been recognition that the practice of human rights is not
gender neutral - that beyond political and civic rights there are social and economic arenas
where women's rights have been ignored. Through text and image, these artists illustrate
some previously overlooked discriminatory practices, such as a disregard of women's rights
within domestic life, the violation of women's rights in wartime, the denial of equal access with
men at all levels of education, and the right to an equal voice in decision making.
4). CIRCLE OF LIFE:
The circle of a woman's life is marked by stages that, though varying widely, often contain
concerns and emotions common to all women. On being born female, a woman is apt to be
looked on and treated differently than her brother. Puberty marks her passage from childhood
to womanhood, a magical time that in some cultures is celebrated with special rites. In many
cultures marriage follows and is seen as a sign of her full entrance into adulthood.
Motherhood may ensue, giving her a source of pride and acknowledged power. Once past
her childbearing years, a woman's advice may be sought as a venerated elder. With luck, this
final stage allows her time for introspection, self-expression, and special friendships.
5). CELEBRATING WOMEN'S POWER:
We often judge women's power by noting their growing presence in decision-making positions
in government, business, the media, and sports. The images in this exhibit reveal other
sources of women's influence. Women are honored for their perceived special link to "mother
nature" which historically has granted them important roles as managers and protectors of
their environment. The influence of specific female fertility deities, like the Indian goddess
Durga, is portrayed as illustrative of this female power to affect the earth and elements.
Artists also pay tribute to women's vital work in gathering, cultivating and preparing the foods
consumed for the perpetuation of life. They depict women's efforts to confront violence and to
defend the less powerful. Above all, artists honor women's role as preservers of cultural
traditions and as creators and nurturers of life and art.
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