Reimagining Female Archetypes

These images can be seen as an exploration of the iconic presence of women in visual interpretations of current world events. Whereas political images of women were once merely emblematic of ideals such as liberty or victory, females are now portrayed active participants in global conflicts. I am exploring the next logical step in propaganda where national agendas become irreparably polarized and enticement mixes with naked aggression.

Now, more than ever before, women are taking active roles in organized and asymmetrical armed conflict and radical political activism, whether it be a martyr in a chadoor or a Hooray Henry in post-colonial Britain.

In these self-portraits, I re-interpret some age-old archetypal female characters in the light of recent developments. Will there emerge a heroic nurse, such as legendary healer, Florence Nightingale, in a world afflicted by a bird flu pandemic? What is a contemporary, politically aware version of an Amazon warrior maiden, or a patriotic beauty queen? And might we witness a modern figure like the prophetess, Cassandra, who foresaw the destruction of the mythical city of Troy?

My current work updates the female figure as icon in two ways - reconfiguring the appearance of authentic, millennia-old objects of veneration, and creating new images to fulfill the impulse of myth-making around radicalized female paradigms.

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