Infinite /ˈɪnfɪnət/ – adjective: limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.
Woman –/ˈwʊmən/- an adult female human being.
Foundation Carminagnac, France is hosting an exciting exhibition titled ‘The Infinite Woman’. With over 60 works from notable artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Bourgeois and influential artists from the continent, Wangechi Mutu, Michael Armitage, Frida Orupabo, Tschabalala Self, Billie Zangewa, Chioma Ebinama, this exhibition scrutinizes the strong, lustful, fatal, loving, tempting and mythical representations of women, while ushering the new representations in the 21st century.
I struggle to write this article because I believe that achieving the change we seek in the perceptions of women in society, considering where we are right now, is a long shot. It is no secret that the word ‘woman’ has been a puzzle for many in the last century. Who is a woman? What criteria categorize someone as a woman? Is it the biological ‘female’ species, with the xx chromosomes? In this patriarchal society in which we find ourselves existing, do the clothes we wear define us?
From my point of view, the concept of ‘The infinite Woman’ is neverending. Even though society has suppressed feminine energy over the years, it continues to exert a massive impact on the world today. From the plants that we consume to the yin-yang energy, femininity has proved itself to be boundless, existing as a conflicting, puzzling concept for those who don’t care to see beyond what they know.
The lineup of African artists participating in this exhibition, including Wangechi Mutu and Frida Orupabo, connect to the woman’s contemporary and futuristic view. In all her complications, through amazing collage and mixed media works that combine ancient mythologies, portraying women in a monstrous, animalistic, and ethereal way. We have come a long way; from living through a patriarchal lens and caring about it to living independent lives. Women today embrace free thought, and fearlessly exist in our female form despite how the world perceives us. I mean, there is a trending video on TikTok that says ‘ I am not a feminist, I can cook’ where different women took and ran with it with the words rephrased ‘I am a feminist, watch me cook ‘ and they proceed to showcase the various ways, both professionally and freely, how they have expressed themselves proudly in their various fields.
The exhibition ignited something inside me as I started to examine myself as I walked on the road to work every day. I live in a generally good neighborhood in Nairobi, with a very good distribution of the different generations of people. As a woman, I began seeing myself as a subject for this exhibition. What did it mean to me to be infinite?
Oil on Lubugo bark cloth
149,9 x 195,6 cm. Image courtesy of Foundation Carmignac.
Perusing through the amazing catalog of artists and artworks on view at Foundation Carmignac, one of the artworks stood out to me; Michael Armitage’s ( 1984) ‘ My Dress My Choice, 2015 ‘.This artwork showcases features of a woman in all her femininity, curves, and all, yet, at the mercy of the male gaze, scrutiny, judgment, and ultimately violence. The context matters because 2015 was not so long ago. I was younger then, being a rebel as always and I remember watching the news and seeing various women getting sexually harassed, for simply wearing anything that screams’ sex’ in the streets of Nairobi. This means that anything that showed off the curves, was short and thought to be provocative was a no. This was the birth of #MyDressMyChoice, the title of Michael Armitage’s work.
Scrutinizing how women have been viewed for centuries, the exhibition also juxtaposes the two worlds in that ‘ the infinite and boundless woman ‘has been able to exist’. It is no secret that we are still a long way to simply just being, as beautiful as the plants, the universal energies, and balance. But conversations and bodies of work like this, accelerate the message at hand. This exhibition will go on till November 3rd, 2024 at Villa Carmignac, France.
Read the full press release here
