SPACE 1 : LEAH MARIANI
Exhibition dates : 7 - 18 June 2023
Opening Reception : Thursday 8 June 2023, 6:00 - 8.30pm.
This series is inspired by ancient stories and myths. Before women were permitted to hold positions of power and influence, female role models often originated from myth, fables and religious iconography. My practice examines the continued influence of these fictional characters on our contemporary view of womanhood as portrayed through storytelling.
The female subjects in this series inhabit an imaginary world steeped in layers of pattern that have been transposed from discarded textiles. Working with textured surfaces provides a decorative backdrop for reimagining this classical female character.
While this exhibition looks primarily at women portrayed in ancient Greek mythology it also touches on female characters found in Christianity and traditional European fairy tales. I have found several links between these ancient myths and the fairy tales I listened to as a child. Many of the lessons and symbolism are connected, although there are many differences as well.
Leah Mariani is a Melbourne based artist making art about identity and woman. She is particularly interested in the way societal expectations mould us into gender conforming ways of behaviour. She draws on her experience as a woman and a mother, and resultantly most of her work is about childhood and womanhood. Recently her work has been exploring narratives within traditional fairy tales and ancient Greek mythology and interpreting these themes through a feminist lens. She is passionate about women’s issues and gender equality, and it is an ongoing theme in her work.
Leah has interest in pattern and it often appears in her work through the use of stencils, printed fabric and decorative paper. She has been shortlisted for a number of prestigious Australian awards and completed a Graduate Certificate of Visual Art at VCA in 2019. This is her first solo exhibition since 2020.
@leahmarianiartspace
