I attended the opening of Annette Bezor‘s solo exhibition, ‘Inscrutable’ at Australian Galleries last week and was thrilled to see the Annette’s exploration of feminine beauty, power and sexuality. Many of her large format paintings are layered either with swathes of technicolour or screened with gold foil, accentuating or masking the woman’s identity – challenging the viewer to consider the role of women in modern society.
Annette’s figures are often iconic characters, or stylised as such, from both Western and Asian culture, and her work shows a distinct and delicate handling of the differences society places on the role of women in these two cultures; whilst elevating them to a glorified, almost goddess like status.
Annette reflects on contemporary values associated with women:
“Beauty can be overwhelming. Those who feel threatened by it will wish to control its power over them. This gives rise to a double standard often expressed as a love/hate relationship with the desirable subject.”
‘Inscutable’ is showing at Australian Galleries from 25 March to 13 April 2014, at 15 Roylston Street Paddington NSW. I highly recommend you see her work in person. Below are my favourite pieces from the show:
