Delve into the intricacies of Womanhood through these new art exhibitions

March 8 marks International Women's Day, prompting us to consider gender equality globally. However, this is a challenging task as each country faces unique circumstances. Progress to celebrate and setbacks, including those that are life-threatening, can be found everywhere. In recent years, the day has become an opportunity to examine how we define womanhood inclusively and the criteria that bind billions of individuals together. Although the answer is elusive, the experience of being subjected to systems of power seems to be a common thread. For instance, last year, the U.S. Supreme Court revoked Americans' constitutional right to abortion, and currently, women in Iran are bravely fighting for fundamental human rights.

The complexities of womanhood are a common subject in the art world, as artists and curators have used their platform to educate audiences about the diverse range of experiences. This Women's History Month, several exhibits eloquently articulate this topic.

Alina Bliumis
Situations

At Situations in New York, Alina Bliumis is showcasing her debut solo exhibit with the gallery, titled "Plant Parenthood." Bliumis' watercolor pieces depict flowers used in traditional medicine from various cultures to induce abortions, reminiscent of Georgia O'Keeffe's striking floral works. The red and pink petals unfurl in sensual gestures resembling reproductive organs, making a powerful statement against the repeal of Roe V. Wade in June 2021, which has resulted in fatal consequences for individuals capable of giving birth. Through her sweet renderings of the flowers, Bliumis pays tribute to the legitimacy of a centuries-old medical procedure.

Wangechi Mutu

New Museum

Wangechi Mutu's renowned art practice is populated by enigmatic shapes that merge the feminine, animal, and fantastical. The Kenyan artist delves into the complex relationship between gender, race, and personal and political history through her intricate collages, paintings, videos, and sculptures. "Intertwined," her retrospective exhibition at the New Museum in New York, brings together decades' worth of her artwork. The exhibit features Crocodylus (2020), a 13-square-foot reptilian female sculpture on the gallery floor, as well as abstract humanoid figures crafted from clay sourced from Nairobi's soil. The display is remarkably introspective, speaking to both conscious and unconscious influences that mold us into often unrecognizable forms.

Nancy Spero

Galerie Lelong & Co

“Woman as Protagonist” -- a solo exhibition of Nancy Spero's works, is currently on display at Galerie Lelong & Co. in New York. Spero addressed the interconnected issues of sexism, racism, and classism through her art, which included paintings, sculptures, and installations. Her oeuvre conveyed her unwavering outrage at history's treatment of women, merging popular culture, art history, and women leaders into a unified commentary on inequity.

The exhibition features works created by Spero during the last two decades of her life, from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. Despite referencing historical atrocities, Spero preferred a light color palette and liberated brushstroke, providing a comforting respite against nihilism in the face of oppression.

Rummana Hussain

Institute of Arab & Islamic Art

Rummana Hussain (1952-1999), a pioneer of India’s conceptual and performance scene, is receiving her first U.S. presentation at the newly opened Institute of Arab & Islamic Art in Manhattan’s West Village. Hussain was a political activist who explored the convergence of personal and political history in her body, which she used in complex installations and assemblages.

The Institute is showcasing her 1997 installation, "The Tomb of Begum Hazrat Mahal," which pays homage to the historical figure of Begum Hazrat Mahal, who led an armed revolt against the British East India Company in 1857. The gallery acts as an altar for Hussain's tribute, featuring dead roses, heavy iron tools, divas bound in string, and pale papaya halves arranged like limbs, mingling myth and memory without clear boundaries.

Sanja Iveković

Kunsthalle Wien

Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna is currently showcasing “Works of Heart (1974–2022)”, a retrospective of the pioneering Croatian multimedia artist Sanja Iveković, who was among the first in the country's artistic history to situate her practice within feminist frameworks. Through her works spanning photography, installation, performance, and sculpture, Iveković offers a critical inquiry into the construction and instrumentalization of history, specifically exploring the intersection between mass media and ideology. She prompts us to question how and where the feminine identity is fashioned: from unreliable images propagated by unknown interests, or from something intrinsic and intangible. Iveković urges us to pursue the latter as the site worth exploring.