caryatid
2026
reclaimed fabrics, threads, foam, copper wire, acrylic paint
250 × 70 × 10 cm

The work refers to the widespread representations of the Virgin Mary in culture and art — holy, idealised, and presented as a model for all women, inseparable from the attribute of sanctity: the halo. In this interpretation, however, the halo ceases to be a symbol of divinity and becomes a prison instead. Woven from copper wire and placed in front of the face, it evokes a cage — a trap of idealised femininity into which girls, and later adult women, are gradually entangled.

The female figure is symbolically divided into two contrasting parts. One is soft, pale, and delicate; the other dark, sharp, and aggressive. This duality refers to Inanna, whose power resided precisely in the coexistence of extremes — wildness and gentleness, the fullness of experience. Over time, such a woman came to be perceived as dangerous, inconvenient, too self-sufficient. It is for this reason that patriarchy created a restrictive model for her — a figure women are expected to aspire to from early childhood onward.

To deepen the symbolic meaning and burden the body with additional weight, the figure is placed upon a pedestal in the manner of the caryatids of Erechtheion. This position emphasises that, beyond being ideal and immaculate, her role is also to serve as a support — a pillar sustaining the imposed order.