4th Annual Women In Their Infinite Forms

For the Women in their Infinite Forms exhibit, I present my interpretation of Ixchel, a Mayan Goddess that was revered as the goddess of the moon because of her feminine character. She represented the fertility linked to the earth, due to the fact that the cycles of the moon are those which determine the times of planting and harvest. She was also associated with the rains and the Maya rain god Chaac. Ixchel also is the protector of departed souls. This Goddess symbolizes different forms of women since the moon has different shapes and phases and Ixchel appears in different phases from young to old. As well as how women are able to create life, if they choose to. Moreover, women are sacred and bring both nurturing care and protection. What you’ll also find in this art piece are a nopal or cactus, representing the resilience all women have as it’s a resilient plant that blooms and bares fruit; an Alebrije dog, representing a mythical animal that accompanies those that have departed; a marigold that is an integral flower during the Día de los Muertos ceremonies, believed to create a path for ancestors to visit their loved ones on alters; and a rabbit and snake that are associated with Ixchel.

Link to Artist Process Video

This glorious inspiration beckoned on her own from all the exquisite Drag Queens who are a magnetic presence within Women In Their Infinite Forms. They resonate fiery passion with boundless whimsy and excitement on a grand scale all while carrying that which they have and have had to experience, just to be who they are. Every element of their journey can be found deeply held inside their emotive eyes.

Link to Artist Process Video

Link to Artist Process Video

This piece was inspired by the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on young women and their ability to heal through therapy. For many women and girls, the disruption and stress of the pandemic exacerbated previously well-hidden mental health issues. The pandemic, racial inequities and the political divide in our country weighed especially heavily on teens. Rates of mental health challenges have soared, so much so that the American Academy of Pediatrics recently declared a “National State of Emergency in Children’s Mental Health.” In this piece, the purple cone flower is used to represent young women’s capacity for growth and healing. The lamp illuminates the soil and the dark places where growth emanates from, dark places that must be explored. The blossom sprouting from the soil shows the growth that is possible and life beyond pain, depression and anxiety. With such growth, women naturally become support systems for others, represented by the glowing cone and insects. Fabric, especially knit and crocheted yarns, were used because of the cozy and comforting feeling of the textiles.

What kinds of “chains” do you have to break through (or use) to thrive as your best self? This piece incorporates community members’ answers to this question, and highlights the welded power of Women in Their Infinite Forms breaking free together.

As a woman, I have embarked on a transformative journey to understand the profound connection between our inner rhythms and the natural world. Inspired by the moon’s phases and the hormonal cycles that shape us, I present this art deco lampshade as a celebration of the sacred feminine and its inherent power. Within its intricate design, you’ll find a dance of celestial bodies reflecting the ebb and flow of our being. Each luminous curve and crescent whispers of a woman’s ever-shifting landscape – from the passionate fire of ovulation to the introspective wisdom of the new moon. This is more than just a lampshade; it’s a call to reconnect with our cyclical nature. I aspire to ignite conversations about the radical act of self-love that comes from synchronizing our lives with these intrinsic rhythms. By honoring the woman in her many forms, we embrace the empowerment that lies within – a force as undeniable and beautiful as the moon’s guiding light.

Like a bird with its flight feathers cut, women are losing freedoms we thought were there for good. My concept was inspired by desire for abortion access, equal pay/maternity leave, and women being recognized in their fields. This piece consists of graphite drawing and watercolor paint on translucent paper, in two layers. The upper layer goes over the top of the lamp like an mitten and depicts two birds in flight, one with it’s flight feathers cut, one with them intact. The lower layer circles the base of the lamp and shows a hand gripping the wrist of an another hand gripping scissors, a third holding feathers and fourth hand pointing toward the flight feathers that have grown back. The light will bring focus and an ethereal feel to the birds and the hands. By staying the hand with the scissors, flight feathers can grow back. Similarly, by stopping those who seek to limit women, our freedom will return.

When I first saw the theme “Women In Their Infinite Forms,” my knee-jerk reaction was to immediately think of physical forms. I realized that my response was a culturally-driven response. It was something I was trained to do from the time I was small – to think about shape and physical form in relation to being a woman. I encouraged myself to move beyond this ingrained response to consider what rises above physical form? Not only what rises above form, but what rises above time, space and form when it comes to women? What do we as women hold in common? The words that began to flow through me were heart, courage, bravery, passion, fire, supporting, holding, creativity, energy. These qualities are expressed by women living and women past and will continue to be exhibited by women of the future – in all of our infinite forms. At times we are on fire – ready to take a stand, demonstrate, share our passion, ignite possibilities. Other times we are focused inward – tending to our inner flame, stoking our creative embers. At times we hold space for others, for community, for connection and at times we create space for ourselves, for solitude and for listening to the quiet whispers that only come when we slow down. We are passionate, brave, creative and loving beings who show up in infinite ways in this world. The heart, representing courage, bravery, love, and compassion – representing us – is positioned above all else in the sculpture. We will not be contained.