Portraiture as Social Commentary

Portraiture as Social Commentary


Opening: Friday, 17 November 2023, 6 – 8 pm
Exhibition: 18 November 2023 – 27 January 2024
Venue: Persons Projects, Lindenstr. 34–35, 10969 Berlin

Persons Projects is delighted to present the latest group exhibition titled Portraiture as Social Commentary; this exhibition not only highlights the different aspects of the genre but also links together a variety of artistic perspectives. A portrait is a painting, a photograph, a sculpture, or any other representation of a person in which the face and its expressions are predominant. They reveal the presence of the subject viewed from the perspective of the artist – a merger of contrasts between what’s projected by one and perceived by another. These images become mirrors of many faces that reflect both the political and cultural undercurrents relevant to the time period in which they were conceived.

Notes from a Seamstress’ Daughter

Zofia Kulik | Anni Leppälä | Ragna Róbertsdóttir | Niina Vatanen

Opening: Friday, 11 March 2022, 6 – 8 pm
Exhibition: 12 March – 23 April 2022
Venue: Persons Projects, Lindenstr. 35, 10969 Berlin

Persons Projects is delighted to present a unique selection of female artists who share a common ground within their artistic practices as they all incorporate and draw from their own personal histories. Their work and overall creative development were influenced by a female presence that played a significant role in their upbringing. Under this aspect, this group exhibition intends to explore four different female perspectives and how they are joined together through the process of objectifying their own fears and doubts in their search for their own identity. Their artistic arsenal ranges from threads and pins to textile ornaments and patterns. Regardless of the materials used, the works collected in this exhibition reflect a tactile sensibility in the way the artists apply them.
Embroidery, sewing, and working with fabric are historically associated with women and ‘domestic tasks’, overlooking the intense skill and creativity required to create the artwork. But since the early days of Surrealism, these specific activities have been one of the tools used to characterize the feminist voice of discontent. Generations of female artists seeking to negate and escape society’s expectations consciously avoided this direction. Today, contemporary women artists are reusing these traditions in their artistic expression, referring to the repetition of daily activities as the basis of our existence.
Notes from a Seamstress’ Daughter