CHICAGO ––Woman Made Gallery (WMG) is proud to present The Feminist Biennial, juried by Ashley Wynn. It is a group exhibition featuring the artwork of 34 women and non-binary artists exploring the new age of feminism. As legendary historical moments, the first three waves of feminism are well theorized and widely known. The first emerged with women’s suffrage; the second propelled forward by the civil rights act and women’s sexual and financial freedom; and the third further defined by the rise of queer theory, racial justice and intersectionality within the feminist moment. Now speculating the fourth wave, which has yet to be theorized and is less understood, WMG asks what does it mean to be a feminist today?
At its core, feminism has been and continues to be a personal and collective reclamation of power in a patriarchal world that undervalues and devalues feminine-presenting expressions of self. It is a lived experience, a daily act, and held in community to make sense of the world through a feminist lens. WMG’s first Feminist Biennial, as an exhibition, seeks to provide a platform for marginalized voices to put forth artwork that explores feminist thought, action, art practices and lived experience in 2022.
In her juror’s statement, Ashley Wynn writes: “’Each work presents both a timeless and timely expression of the pluralism of feminism, a provocative amalgamation of intersectional pursuits of equality, liberation, and autonomy, upending preconceived ideologies of what it means to be a woman. The resultant conversation invites an active exploration into a broader spectrum of experiences and perspectives, dynamically opposing binary boundaries imposed upon genders and identification.”
Read Ashley Wynn’s entire statement HERE.
About the Juror: Ashley Wynn is an independent arts professional living in Chicago, IL. Formerly the director of contemporary spaces in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and most recently the director at Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago, Wynn has collaborated with established and emerging artists on projects and exhibitions operating across the disciplines of art and performance.
From 2017 to 2019 Wynn held positions at MoMA PS1 and MOCA, where she assisted with curatorial work focused largely on the intersection of art and politics, facilitating commission projects, architectural installations, site specific performances, and film installations from a diverse array of contemporary artists. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History from UCLA and currently sits on the board of LATITUDE Chicago.
Exhibiting Artists: Krystal Boney, Johanna (Jo) Bushong, Charleston Cain, Chantal Lesley, ELena Chestnykh, Bria Corranda, Annika Earley, Zahra Edwards, Morgan Ford Willingham, Elizabeth Claire Godbee, Cec Hardacker, Deborah Hirshfield, Eileen Hoffman, Allison Hudson,Jasmine Marie, Tanya Kaiser, Rebecca Ladida, Amanda Lee, Ringo Lisko, Cat Mailloux, Alex McClay, Kiki McGrath, Amalya Megerman, Indrani Nayar-Gall, Nelson, Carly Newman, Marcela Adeze Okeke, Jina Park, Bridget Parlato, Jacqueline Saepoff, Lique Schoot, Madelyn Turner, Maddie Wilmink, and Zepure.
Banner Image: Eileen Hoffman: Hidden Story Boxes – acrylic paint on Dura-Lar, chenille stems, knitting; 34 x 52 x 5 in.
Woman Made Gallery is supported in part by grants from The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Illinois Arts Council Agency; the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. the Puffin Foundation, a major anonymous donor; and the generosity of its members and contributors.
(Image: Indrani Nayar-Gall: Beyond Square_IV – work on paper: collagraph, burning tool, cutting, graphite; 30.5 x 22 in.)
