In an online show created by a collaboration between 33 Contemporary and PoetsArtists comes a special collection of work dedicated to “women of wonder, who inspire and leave a lasting impact on our lives,” says Didi Menendez, a 33 Contemporary curator. In Wonder Woman 2023, on view in early July, viewers will be met with stunning portraits of women, created by artists who are greatly inspired by their strength and resiliency.

Diana Carolina Lopez, Alma Libre, oil on canvas, 16 x 12"

 

“The idea for the show came during International Women’s Day and I wanted to extend the initiative to show additional artworks of strong females as the main focus for the show,” says Menendez. “Everyone was excited about the opportunity to show their muses in this light. We need more artworks and shows like this honoring females, so our museums are filled with paintings children can look up to.”

Artists like Diana Carolina Lopez, whose work is “based in different self-reflections of human elements that move us to relate to each other,” contributes her impressive oil portrait Alma Libre to the show. “This is the portrait of a woman named Anna Lucia Putzu,” the artist explains. “One day I was walking in downtown [Queretaro, Mexico] and I passed by a craft market. I saw her in the distance and she caught my attention because of her looks, and especially the strength and freedom she projected. I couldn’t help approaching her. I continued on my way with the idea in my head of how wonderful it would be to make a portrait of ‘[the] girl with so much personality.’”

Elizabeth Barden, Jaguar, oil on canvas, 13 x 9"

 

Luckily, Lopez got the opportunity to meet Putzu through a friend. Knowing her confirmed what she already suspected— “she is a free soul; she travels always with her dog named Peligro (danger) by her side; she is a dancer, painter and puts her spirit in everything she does,” says Lopez. “I will never forget how inspired I felt the day I met her.”

Figurative artist Elizabeth Barden, hopes   to capture “what lies within” with her portrait Jaguar, which depicts the awarded musician and multi-disciplinary artist, Deena Lynch. “[She] performs as Jaguar Jonze, produces art as Spectator Jonze and photography as Dusky Jonze—very much assuming distinct and strong characters for each separate role,” Barden says. “Her story is powerful. With a Taiwanese mother and Australian father, circumstances saw her left as a child in foster homes in Australia before her mother was able to gain a visa. She was abused during these years.”

Elena Caravela, STEMS, oil on linen, 24 x 30"

 

Donna Bates, Madam President, oil and multimedia on Dibond, 24 x 24"

 

At the time Barden painted her, the artist notes that Lynch was recovering from hospitalization with Covid. “[She] endured horrific racial trolling during her Covid battle—for being Asian and perceived as ‘other’ by certain people—and she did not back down in calling it out,” Barden says. “Becoming the very public face of the #MeToo movement in Australia’s music industry, she has been recognized for fighting for a safer environment, having herself been preyed upon. She is a fierce advocate for survivors of sexual assault and harassment and is a spokeswoman for systemic change.”

Chenoa Warner, Origination, oil on linen, 36 x 30"

 

For her portrait, Barden says, “This is not Deena shown naked, this is Deena shown raw. [She is] vulnerable and literally collapsing into the pose, determined to be resilient and find beauty in strength and the fight. [She is] frail, but powerful. Simple and complex.” In yet another example of feminine power and strength, Elena Caravela’s STEMS depicts a female figure in honor of her niece’s achievements as a STEM graduate, working in statistics. “I am awed by women who persist and thrive in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” Caravela says. “It’s an uphill climb for them all…It’s time that the other half of our population (women), weigh in on the reason and discovery of the sciences.”

Ivan Pazlamatchev, Corona, oil on canvas, 12 x 12"

 

It is important to Caravela that the subject of her painting is a portrait of an actual woman who works in STEM. “She is not clad in the scanty costume of the comic Wonder Woman with hands on hips,” she says. “The pose is more an intellectual stance...Hands held to accentuate the head while she is still dressed in celebratory attire. She is gazing ahead, forward thinking and unperturbed. A subtle background of math problems in color celebrates the creativity not commonly attributed to the STEM world. Here is a woman of wonder and certainly a Wonder Woman.”

Wonder Woman 2023 will go live on www.artsy.net July 10, with a closing date of November 20. 

33 Contemporary Gallery
Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 25th Street • Chicago, IL 60609 • (708) 837-4534 www.33contemporary.com • www.poetsandartists.com

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