WOMAN AS OBJECT 

JULIANA STANKIEWICZ

Solo Exhibition

September 16-26, 2024

Opening Reception

Thursday, September 18, 6-9pm

Meet the Artist at Reception

Artist Talk at 8pm

ARTIST BIO 

Juliana Stankiewicz is an Amsterdam based artist who has been actively practicing fine art for over twenty years. She grew up in the rural area of Northern NY and studied painting and film at Syracuse University in Florence, Italy and New York. Her work is widely centered on identity and varies in materials ranging from oil painting, photography, and hand crafted three-dimensional forms.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The genesis of Stankiewicz's recent series "Woman as Object" can be traced back to her recent stay at the OBRAS residency in Portugal. Inspired by the tumultuous socio-political landscape and motivated by a deep-seated frustration with recent anti-choice abortion rulings, she embarked on an artistic exploration of female representation. Through a synthesis of photography, painting, and performance, Stankiewicz confronts the notion of women existing without agency, often seen as mere vessels for creating life, and reduced to small fragments of themselves. In this series, the creation of still lifes is intentional; Stankiewicz draws inspiration from the historical significance of still life painting, one of the few genres of painting that women were permitted to take part. Often, still life works were commissioned by men as symbols of wealth and status in society. Objects chosen for their symbolic resonance - exotic fruits, luxurious fabrics, precious jewels - served as visual declarations of opulence and refinement. In her reimagining of the still-life tradition, Stankiewicz presents the viewer with intimate portrayals of the female form, serving as a modern-day object of ownership, entwined with commonplace still-life elements. Through evocative compositions, she challenges societal constructs and confronts viewers with the complexities of gender, power, and representation.