Why am I still a feminist

Why am I still a feminist?

The project was curated by Ksenia Nazarov & Olga Yerushlamy

All female art group, we are working and creating together for over 2 years now. During this time, we presented 7 group shows, which dealt with various feminine issues, social and personal themes and displayed our unique artistic styles.
Our 8th exhibition, created for TLV Illustration week 2018,
is called Why Am I Still A Feminist?
Each Duck&Dodo member has created 6 original drawings, which are also included in the actual card deck we produced alongside the art show.

So, why are we still identify ourselves as feminists?
When we established the group and began working side by side, we didn’t think about any type of manifest. We just aspired to create together and to give form to personal emotions and experiences of what it means to be a woman and an female artist in 21st century. Very soon, we discovered that almost any act, which is not “typically female”, considered by society as feminist act or desire to be manly to a certain degree. It seems by default our womanhood and artistic nature interpreted as Feminism. We decided to own I, and byproduct to create an exhibition that will give our explanation to why at this point in human history it is still important to keep fighting for equal rights and opportunities.

Over history, there were many accomplished female artists who left an important signature in History of Art and contributed significantly to Human Culture. Nowadays there are more female artists than ever and yet Art is viewed as male occupation. Woman artist, especially one with family – the society perceives her artistry as merely a hobby.

How is that that when someone desires to decrease the meaning of something, they use the “female” as dominating epithet? “Female” themes, “female” work, “female” sensitivity, “female” conduct and etc.
What is “female” theme anyway? How is that when a man express his feelings it is called poetry, self-expression, creativity...

While when the same is done by a woman she either self-observes or neurotic. True, the world is changing. There are more and more women, who are leaders, creators and explorers.We are taking our place at last, and yet certain prejudices die hard.

Inequality mayhap is not as strong as it used to be. However, each time you realize that merchandise directed to female audience cost a little more. That you do earn less than some of your male colleagues. That pink t-shirts say “princes” and “cute”, while the blue ones - “explore” and “innovate”. Every time action-movie actress scolded for not smiling enough. Every time woman is asked how she is not married yet at age of...? Why does she work full time, when she has a family? Why such a pretty girl wants to study physics? Those are the times we say, “Yes, I am still a feminist!”

We chose playing card format for the exhibition for several reasons.

Firstly, sometimes we all feel that the discourse for women’s right is widely used as bargaining card by all sides on the political battlefield. In addition, playing cards by definition are perceived as male past time and in popular culture tied to “boys’ night” stereotype. Over hundreds of years, many a manufactures used female body motive as decoration for playing cards. Hardly there were boys who never held erotic or pinup deck of cards.

We too, decided to ”play the Feminist card” and chose the card deck for our art works both as humoristic punch line, but also to take the power of representation back to ourselves.