AS I SEE IT
aS I SEE IT
Barbara Ishikura
FORMah Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition “As I See It” of works by Barbara Ishikura, opening on April 19th 2024.
The exhibition title refers to two ways of “seeing.” Through the works in her show, Ishikura is refuting the male gaze by acting as a female painter who portrays other women in the way that she chooses to see them. In addition, she is asserting that she is able to “see” more clearly with age. This title serves as an invitation to Ishikura’s exhibition which centers on the depiction of women in art and the underrepresentation of the female artists throughout art history.
Within her paintings, Ishikura’s representation of the female form suggests that pleasure and intimacy can be intrinsic to a woman’s identity. Influenced by Audre Lorde’s discourse on the repression of female sexuality, Ishikura draws parallels between expression of the erotic and other types of fulfillment across the various facets of a woman’s life. In Lorde’s words, “Once we know the extent to which we are capable of feeling that sense of satisfaction and completion, we can then observe which of our various life endeavors bring us closest to that fulfillment.”
Ishikura is also responding to Victorian-era instances of controlling female experiences and behavior. Notably, in her paintings she refers to endeavors to withhold botanical studies from women to shield them from the sexual aspects of flowers, as well as policies that denied women access to the nude model, both practices which inhibited the success of female artists at that time. The scarcity of women who depicted the female nude throughout Western art history underscores the pervasive nature of such constraints.
The confinement of women to specific spaces throughout art history forms another focal point of the exhibition. Drawing inspiration from the works of art historian Griselda Pollock and artists such as Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot, Ishikura challenges traditional gendered spaces, juxtaposing domestic settings with moments of defiance and liberation.
Ishikura’s paintings portray female figures in classical art historical poses while drinking cheap beer and smoking cigarettes surrounded by working-class paraphernalia. These pleasure-seeking women inhabit lush interiors and enjoy each other’s camaraderie.
The exhibition contemplates the notion of frozen moments in time. Through snapshot photos and portraits, Ishikura captures fleeting glimpses of femininity, immortalizing subjects while challenging societal expectations of beauty and behavior. The exhibition is on view through June 1st.
“Within her paintings, Ishikura’s representation of the female form suggests that pleasure and intimacy can be intrinsic to a woman’s identity.”
Ishikura is also responding to Victorian-era instances of controlling female experiences and behavior. Notably, in her paintings she refers to endeavors to withhold botanical studies from women to shield them from the sexual aspects of flowers, as well as policies that denied women access to the nude model, both practices which inhibited the success of female artists at that time. The scarcity of women who depicted the female nude throughout Western art history underscores the pervasive nature of such constraints.
The confinement of women to specific spaces throughout art history forms another focal point of the exhibition. Drawing inspiration from the works of art historian Griselda Pollock and artists such as Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot, Ishikura challenges traditional gendered spaces, juxtaposing domestic settings with moments of defiance and liberation. Ishikura’s paintings portray female figures in classical art historical poses while drinking cheap beer and smoking cigarettes surrounded by working-class paraphernalia. These pleasure-seeking women inhabit lush interiors and enjoy each other’s camaraderie.
The exhibition contemplates the notion of frozen moments in time. Through snapshot photos and portraits, Ishikura captures fleeting glimpses of femininity, immortalizing subjects while challenging societal expectations of beauty and behavior.
Ishikura challenges traditional gendered spaces, juxtaposing domestic settings with moments of defiance and liberation. Ishikura’s paintings portray female figures in classical art historical poses while drinking cheap beer and smoking cigarettes surrounded by working-class paraphernalia. These pleasure-seeking women inhabit lush interiors and enjoy each other’s camaraderie.
Learn more about the artist
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