XII Young Painter Prize Book

The 2019 Venice Biennale showed us that
there has been a shift in the representation
of different genders, with the amount
of women artists participating the largest
in its long history (many of whom were
painters). Liquidity has happened not just
in art but also in other aspects of life, giving
a main stage to those who have had
a harder time to be noticed before. This
has also effected an important shift in the
way the world is represented through art.
The gaze has changed, with the female
gaining more dominance than ever before.
From the Female
Gaze To a Naked
Man With White Socks
Identity in one or another way has always
been on the menu of art but now it seems
to have become an even more important
dish. The historical discoveries that have
been actualized and represented have
become an important encouragement to
many. For example, the discovery of the
first abstract painter Hilma af Klint, and
now the big show of baroque painter Artemisia
Gentileschi 4 all play an important
role. The women’s history movement that
started in 70’s has now become a true
powerhouse, thanks to the undertakings of
influential institutions. Hopefully this movement
won’t be hushed by the conservative
section of society - to which a large
number of historians unfortunately belong.
It seems that the stigma amongst women
that painting represents the patriarchy is
also not so present anymore.
4 Exhibition “Artemisia” (3.10.2020-24.01.2021). The National
Gallery, London.