African Artists Foundation Presents the Female Artists: FORD FOUNDATION

IKOYI, Nigeria - May 8, 2014 - PRLog -- Femme-fatale is a term that has been used extensively as a stereotypical representation of women in literature, cinema, and the visual arts throughout history. In its popular incarnation, female identity is articulated through her role as an over sexualised, seductive, and scheming predator who uses her erotic charms to manipulate the opposite sex, literally translated from French as “deadly woman”.

As this figure has traditionally been viewed as the pigeon-holing of a woman’s role predicated on her sexuality, it has been argued that such a limiting characterization stigmatizes the freedom and equality of women in an overly-saturated media environment. At the same time, others have argued that through this overbearing yet archetypal depiction of female identity, the femme fatale role has given women a sense of agency in a world that is predominately defined by patriarchal hierarchies, playing predator rather than victim (perhaps more so in Africa with its widening social and economic inequalities). This exhibition takes as its starting point the controversial place of the femme fatale figure in cultural discourse, exploring how female artists variously interpret its predicament and negotiate both its power, limitations, and all the grey

    areas in between.

The concept opens the floor to topics including feminism and its aftermath, relationships, promiscuity, masochism, tradition, superstition, witchcraft, misogyny, philogyny, sexual harassment, career opportunities, advertising, media representation, and cultural stereotypes.

As part of an annual series of AAF’s Female Artist Development Project, which aims to call to attention the vital yet undervalued role of female artists in the Nigerian contemporary arts community, this exhibition will explore how female identity is constructed, articulated, and vehemently asserted in both the contexts of Nigerian society and a broader global paradigm. Work in all art genres will be accepted including, but not limited to: photography, painting, sculpture, mixed media, film, installation, textiles and graphic art. Selected proposals will receive a budget to assist in production. The artists are also supposed to mentor a secondary school-aged girl of their choice and work with her to produce a work for the grand finale.

This project is curated by Medina Dugger, head curator at AAF.

Exhibition

The exhibition will feature 8 contemporary female artists in such genres as: photography, mixed media, video, design and performance. The opening will take place at 6 pm on May 9th at the Ford Foundation on Banana Island.

Exhibiting Artists:

Tyna Adebowale

Jenevieve Aken

Karimah Ashadu

Elisa Bortolussi

Sésu Tilley-Gyado

Shannon Lawrence

ROF (duo Carmen and Selina Sutherland)

Omoligho Udenta

About AAF

African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and development of contemporary African art. African Artists’ Foundation serves a significant role in art and academic communities through organizing exhibitions, festivals, competitions, residencies, and workshops with the aim of unearthing and developing talent, creating societal awareness, and providing a platform to express creativity. By providing assistance to professional and emerging artists in Africa and support to international exhibitions and community outreach programs, African Artists’ Foundation views the contribution to a strong cultural landscape in Africa as a transformative element in driving social change.

www.africanartists.org