A Celebration of International Women's Day

Exhibition / 06 May 2020 - 12 May 2020

Published: 05.05.2020

A Celebration of International Women's Day.

School of Jewellery. Birmingham City University

: Vittoria Street 18
B1 3PA - Birmingham
UNITED KINGDOM

: Website BCU; Instagram BCU; Twitter BCU; Website Vittoria Street Gallery

Mail:: sarah.ohanabcu.ac.uk

Phone:: +44 (0)121 441 5940; + 44 (0)7738 734510

Curator:: Toni Mayner

Management:: Sarah O’Hana

Piece: Sexual abuse by Yadi Wang.Silver, white chocolate.. 2018.Approx. 5 x 5 x 4 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’Hana
. Statement: It is hard for girls tell other people what they suffer, especially about sex. I want to use my work to show the audience what girls feel and why they choose to keep silent. The inspiration comes from the experience of sexual harassment when I was young..

Yadi Wang
Piece: Sexual abuse, 2018
Silver, white chocolate.
Approx. 5 x 5 x 4 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Statement: It is hard for girls tell other people what they suffer, especially about sex. I want to use my work to show the audience what girls feel and why they choose to keep silent. The inspiration comes from the experience of sexual harassment when I was young.

Head piece: Where does the hate come from? by Moravid Alavifard.Fibre, copper.. 2018.Approx. 3 Ø x 200 cm.Photo by: Moravid Alavifard
. Statement: Representing the hair of women, this woolen piece includes my three questions for people from Iran: Is banning effective for humans? Where does this hate come from? Is respect the solution to such problems?
. .

Piece: Keep out of reach of women by Charlotte Cowling.Card, plastic, foil, copper.. 2019.7 x 6.4 x 2.5 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’Hana
. Statement: An investigation into the mistreatment and underrepresentation of women in pharmaceutical trials and its impact..

Piece: Keep out of reach of women by Charlotte Cowling.Card, plastic, foil, copper.. 2019.7 x 6.4 x 2.5 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’HanaDetail view.

Object: Razor and blades by Chiyan Duan.Acrylic, nickel silver.. 2018.Approx. 20 x 4 x 2 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’Hana
. Statement: This piece questions the gendered messages society sends through everyday objects and seeks to challenge these behaviours..

Ring: Control by Erica Laver.Silver, cubic zirconia.. 2018.Approx. 7 x 13 x 2.5 cm.Photo by: Erica Laver
.
. Statement: 89% of domestic violence victims are women. Abusers see these women of ‘things’ to control. Engagement rings are only traditionally worn by women, tying them to man. This traditional engagement ring holds the hand up in the proposed position. However, the underside of the hand shows a bar from the ring down to the wrist which refrains and controls the hand from moving. Domestic violence is always hidden behind closed doors, but controls victims daily..

Ring: Control by Erica Laver.Silver, cubic zirconia.. 2018.Approx. 7 x 13 x 2.5 cm.Photo by: Erica LaverAlternative view..

Piece: Gendered lenses by Hannah Turner.Wood, brass, acetate.. 2018.Approx. 20 x 5 x 5 cmPhoto by: Sarah O’Hana
.
. Statement: The lenses are inspired by women I interviewed but are personal to my experience. They are a comment on seeing the world through a ‘gendered lens’. Three lenses focus on how society stereotypically views women and three lenses offer a more progressive view, suggesting what defines a woman is limitless and endless..

Piece: Gendered lenses by Hannah Turner.Wood, brass, acetate.. 2018.Approx. 20 x 5 x 5 cm

Bag: You can't see the pain... by Zhili Wei.Textile, paper, pills, sanitary fabrics.. 2018.Approx. 18 x 12 x 3 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’Hana
. Statement: …but we know how it feels. I would like to speak for every woman who has period pain or endometriosis. Also to message those who have no experience of period pain: your understanding will be appreciated..

Glasses: Education by Wenlewa Xi.Copper.. 2018.Approx. 14 x 14 x 1.5 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’Hana
. Statement: One of the major causes of gender inequality is education. Perhaps some women could have been outstanding, but because of the lack of good educational environments, they lost at the starting line. Narrow-minded viewpoints might lead them to believe that women are naturally dependent on men, or that women are inferior to men. I want to express the importance of education for women and even the whole of humanity. The glasses represent knowledge and the removable wafers rotten or conservative ideas. As the symbols of difficulties and unfair treatments to women, those small wafers can be removed when people receive a good education..

Ring: Rape by Shengpo Ye.Resin, pigment, gold foil.. 2018.Approx. 8 x 6 x 7 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’Hana
. Statement: The ring is based on the theme of sexual violence and explores the human behaviour of ‘rape’. In the choice of colour, white and black represent the purity and fear of women respectively, while gold foil represents hope. It is possible to have a positive future after such an assault..

Necklace: Imperfection by Dantong Yu.Polymer, graphite.. 2018.Approx. 50 x 1 x 1 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’Hana
. Statement: Women may doubt themselves and get self-contemptuous sometimes. Some of them choose to hide the real characters and disguise. I was inspired by the book Hanging Around by Manon Van Kouswijk..

Piece: Listen to the voice of knowledge by Bingjie Zhao.Alloyed metals, Resin, book pages.. 2018.Approx. 20 x 7 x 15 cm.Photo by: Sarah O’HanaEar defender.
.
. Statement: The ear defender has book pages cast inside to keep the wearer from abusive language. It is also in the shape of a headphone, to communicate with the audience to listen to their own voice and think critically with the support of knowledge..

Moravid Alavifard
Head piece: Where does the hate come from?, 2018
Fibre, copper.
Approx. 3 Ø x 200 cm
Photo by: Moravid Alavifard

Statement: Representing the hair of women, this woolen piece includes my three questions for people from Iran: Is banning effective for humans? Where does this hate come from? Is respect the solution to such problems?

© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

Charlotte Cowling
Piece: Keep out of reach of women, 2019
Card, plastic, foil, copper.
7 x 6.4 x 2.5 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Statement: An investigation into the mistreatment and underrepresentation of women in pharmaceutical trials and its impact.

Charlotte Cowling
Piece: Keep out of reach of women, 2019
Card, plastic, foil, copper.
7 x 6.4 x 2.5 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Detail view

Chiyan Duan
Object: Razor and blades, 2018
Acrylic, nickel silver.
Approx. 20 x 4 x 2 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Statement: This piece questions the gendered messages society sends through everyday objects and seeks to challenge these behaviours.

Erica Laver
Ring: Control, 2018
Silver, cubic zirconia.
Approx. 7 x 13 x 2.5 cm
Photo by: Erica Laver

Statement: 89% of domestic violence victims are women. Abusers see these women of ‘things’ to control. Engagement rings are only traditionally worn by women, tying them to man. This traditional engagement ring holds the hand up in the proposed position. However, the underside of the hand shows a bar from the ring down to the wrist which refrains and controls the hand from moving. Domestic violence is always hidden behind closed doors, but controls victims daily.

Erica Laver
Ring: Control, 2018
Silver, cubic zirconia.
Approx. 7 x 13 x 2.5 cm
Photo by: Erica Laver

Alternative view.

Hannah Turner
Piece: Gendered lenses, 2018
Wood, brass, acetate.
Approx. 20 x 5 x 5 cm

Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Statement: The lenses are inspired by women I interviewed but are personal to my experience. They are a comment on seeing the world through a ‘gendered lens’. Three lenses focus on how society stereotypically views women and three lenses offer a more progressive view, suggesting what defines a woman is limitless and endless.

Hannah Turner
Piece: Gendered lenses, 2018
Wood, brass, acetate.
Approx. 20 x 5 x 5 cm

Photo by: Hannah Turner
On body.

Zhili Wei
Bag: You can't see the pain..., 2018
Textile, paper, pills, sanitary fabrics.
Approx. 18 x 12 x 3 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Statement: …but we know how it feels. I would like to speak for every woman who has period pain or endometriosis. Also to message those who have no experience of period pain: your understanding will be appreciated.

Wenlewa Xi
Glasses: Education, 2018
Copper.
Approx. 14 x 14 x 1.5 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Statement: One of the major causes of gender inequality is education. Perhaps some women could have been outstanding, but because of the lack of good educational environments, they lost at the starting line. Narrow-minded viewpoints might lead them to believe that women are naturally dependent on men, or that women are inferior to men. I want to express the importance of education for women and even the whole of humanity. The glasses represent knowledge and the removable wafers rotten or conservative ideas. As the symbols of difficulties and unfair treatments to women, those small wafers can be removed when people receive a good education.

Shengpo Ye
Ring: Rape, 2018
Resin, pigment, gold foil.
Approx. 8 x 6 x 7 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Statement: The ring is based on the theme of sexual violence and explores the human behaviour of ‘rape’. In the choice of colour, white and black represent the purity and fear of women respectively, while gold foil represents hope. It is possible to have a positive future after such an assault.

Dantong Yu
Necklace: Imperfection, 2018
Polymer, graphite.
Approx. 50 x 1 x 1 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Statement: Women may doubt themselves and get self-contemptuous sometimes. Some of them choose to hide the real characters and disguise. I was inspired by the book Hanging Around by Manon Van Kouswijk.

Bingjie Zhao
Piece: Listen to the voice of knowledge, 2018
Alloyed metals, Resin, book pages.
Approx. 20 x 7 x 15 cm
Photo by: Sarah O’Hana

Ear defender.

Statement: The ear defender has book pages cast inside to keep the wearer from abusive language. It is also in the shape of a headphone, to communicate with the audience to listen to their own voice and think critically with the support of knowledge.

The BA (Honours) Jewellery and Objects programme at The School of Jewellery in Birmingham offers students the opportunity to explore many different aspects of contemporary jewellery practice. As part of their studies, students were asked to create works in response to International Women’s Day.

Artist list

Morvarid Alavifard, Charlotte Cowling, Chiyang Duan, Erica Laver, Hannah Turner, Yadi Wang, Zhili Wei, Wenlewa Xi, Shengpo Ye, Dantong Yu, Bingjie Zhao

Project manager for Athena SWAN (national Charter for gender equality in education) Dr Kate Carruthers Thomas was invited to select works that resonated with her, that celebrated and raised awareness of women’s lives and achievements. The resulting exhibition was first showed at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2019 as part of the xCHANGE festival that marks International Women’s Day every year. It is the hard work of students still in the early stages of their second year of study, together with committed staff working across faculties.

The exhibitors come from many countries far and wide and the group comprises male and female. True experiences lie behind many of these works. What is revealed here is the shared concern that young people from around the world have about the inequalities that continue to be faced globally by women.

Curator: Toni Mayner
Collaborators: Dr Kate Carruthers Thomas, Dr Sarah O’Hana, Beaulagh Brooks.

School of Jewellery. Birmingham City University

: Vittoria Street 18
B1 3PA - Birmingham
UNITED KINGDOM

: Website BCU; Instagram BCU; Twitter BCU; Website Vittoria Street Gallery

Mail:: sarah.ohanabcu.ac.uk

Phone:: +44 (0)121 441 5940; + 44 (0)7738 734510

Curator:: Toni Mayner

Management:: Sarah O’Hana

A Celebration of International Women's Day

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