A new exhibition of work by contemporary female artists from across the globe. The exhibition title is inspired by a collection of Rumi’s poetry by Coleman Barks, titled: Rumi: Soul Fury: Rumi and Shams Tabriz on Friendship.
Presented by Bendigo Art Gallery in collaboration with Nur Shkembi, independent curator and scholar of contemporary Islamic art, this premier exhibition brings together the work of leading Australian and international contemporary artists working across sculpture, photography, painting, installation, video and textiles. Gleaned from artists’ studios and major national collections, the work of sixteen artists with diverse artistic practices, social perspectives and cultural traditions is delicately threaded to reflect on the essential nature of female agency in the current social and political climate.
It was Edward Said’s seminal text Orientalism that set the task for the generations preceding it to reimagine the world beyond the confines of the so-called East-West divide. This reimagining includes the growing desire to replenish feminist narratives both historically and in the now which is presented through the eloquence and force of the voice of women across the globe. With the rapidly evolving and hyper-globalisation of our social conditions creating one of the most volatile periods in history for women, in particular women who have been subjected to the remnants of a post 9-11 world, SOUL fury rallies the interconnectedness of global contemporary art and the female lived experience to offer an expansive dialogue through the dynamism, beauty, vulnerability and utterances of feminist power in featured works. Through unique creative approaches, each artist explores the various social, political, sacred and everyday vestiges of contemporary life with brazen intellect, wit, humour, grace, candour and fury.
“This exhibition showcases the longstanding art practices and unique perspectives of a diverse group of women from a shared Islamic heritage, many challenging dominant misconceptions and stereotypes.”
* Jessica Bridgfoot, Bendigo Art Gallery Director
Artists
