An interpretation of one of the iconic portraits of Madonna, this artwork depicts no features other than the lips on the face, preventing the viewer from establishing any form of bond with the woman in the painting.  With all her distinctive facial features, in particular, the eyes left out, Madonna loses her uniqueness, and becomes commodified as an 'image of beauty'. With this approach, the artist opens up a discussion on how women who are continuously coerced into molds in daily life and forced to be 'beautiful' transform into objects of spectacle. An assortment of points put together using the Pointillism technique creates a holistic and meaningful image in the work. These “points” that make up the whole are made of wool embroidery and can be read as a reference to the society-defined gender roles of women. On the other hand, the fact that the face of the female image in the work is not depicted in full and her body language leave a question mark in the minds of the viewer about the commodification of the subject.

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#genderequality #genderoles #genderbias #genderblindness #eliminationofviolenceagainstwomen #childbride 

 

About the Artist:

Alkan usually works with female figures in her works using the Pointillism technique in which points of varying sizes are used. In her works, Alkan questions the "created" beauty patterns for the female body, which have turned into a social pressure on women. Never including characteristic features, such as eyes and noses, in her female figures which she abstracts in her paintings, the artist states that this is because there is a wall between the viewer and the women in her paintings. It takes approximately 1.5 to 2 months for Alkan to complete her works as she embroiders each by hand, without using any machinery. The long production time of her works is also an emphasis on the similarity with the time women spend to “become beautiful" in order to conform to the society-imposed norms of beauty.