Nine women. Nine artists. Nine islanders together in an exhibition at the cultural center of Anjos Teixeira, in Funchal, which aims to highlight the important role they play in the evolution of societies and culture as a motor, in order to mark the International Women's Day.
What did you sought to address in these two works for this exhibition?
Alice Sousa: With the title "forward" it suggests our steps in life. It has several holdings of materials, but the main idea is that we have our problems and they can stimulate us. The other work reflects an internalized nature, while using evidence. It is one of the cultural trips I made, visited Cezanne's studio where there was a tiger cat that urge for caresses, the taste of the people passing by and that remind me of my grandmother. She also had a cat that was sometimes a dog. Waiting for us at the beginning of the road, because it knew the way we came. A friend of mine, Flor Campino who was my classmate in school and lives in Port wrote a poem that was sent me and my brother and I entered that in this painting. I am made of memories and this is reflected in my work.
Do you think it is important to promote this kind of initiative, still make sense?
Irene Lucilia: I think so. It's an excuse to show the art which is practiced in Madeira. Therefore, whether is the women's week, this type of events always has its place. First, the artists appear and this leads people to share. On the other hand, being the woman behind this idea, I think some of these works have this direct relationship with the subject. It was a concern for all the artists to choose works that were related to this date.
Graça Berimbau: I chose these two pictures in order to celebrate the International Women's Day. I've had them done before, are portraits of women artists who live and work on the island. It is a painting project that I have been developing for two years. These canvases have recently joined an exhibition titled starting line. I thought it made sense to show them until they are portraits of two artists who are also in this show, Alice Sousa and Teresa Jardim.
Teresa Jardim: The work that I brought to this exhibition does not address the issue of women specifically. It's a roundabout way, has to do with the work I've been producing. In this particular case is acrylic on canvas, where the composition has many patterns and apply some elements that come from my imagination, what I think and feel. It is an interiority that is there present.
Living on an island influence this issue?
TJ: It influences our everyday experience. The air we breathe, the people we know and the profession we have. All we are is the confluence, or result, or intersects all that life. The fact that I live on an island, which is my choice, I think it exists in my work. There is a predominance of colors that I think would not persist if I lived elsewhere. My areas of choice are always close to the sea, where I also can spot the mountain, where I have the notion of territorial and geographical smallness, because this is not a large island. Sometimes we are close to people, other further apart. Sometimes we are too close to things that happen in the world and other times we are far away. All this has an effect and is not negative. I take from the relationship with the island, something that this involvement is important to my everyday life. Even when things go wrong, I always look for something positive.
