"Omnipresence of the Prick"

Woman Artists’ Colloquium Exhibition 2009/2010

Omnipresence of the Prick

Women Artists’ Colloquium (WAC) was envisaged by Theertha  as a program that would support female artists to enhance and sustain their art practice. While the idea of segregating women artists as a separate category is problematic in general, in a situation where women as artists face varied impositions within their social, cultural and personal contexts, it is important to give special focus to women who are engaged in art to stabilize their careers as artists. Hence, the necessity for programs such as Women Artists’ Colloquium.

The exhibition, put together by the artists taking part in the 2009/2010 WACs, is very provocatively named, ‘Omnipresence of the Prick’.  Chosen for its contentious nature, the title/theme basically touches the underlying essence of all the works presented in the exhibition. Initiated as an academic exercise of dissecting and defining the ‘gaze’ as male and female, the colloquium under the mentoring of Jagath Weerasinghe explosively brought out the un- inhibited reaction towards the presence of an often unwelcome and intrusive ‘maleness’ from a female perspective.  This exhibition records as artwork these un-reticent manifestations of female counter reaction to the macho maleness in society, an attitude which women artists themselves have to face on a day to day basis in their lives.  Although within the wider global academic feminist discourses, such basic reactions to the presence of macho male  has been debated quite some time ago and moved on, at a local level, in reality, women have to negotiate with this macho maleness at its most blatant form at every point in their lives. As such, if this exhibition presents the female reaction to the hegemony of the male in its raw sense, it has been done consciously to make a point. 

The exhibition ‘Omnipresence of the Prick’ is an effort by the participants of 2009 and 2010 Colloquiums.  The WAC 2009 conducted by Menika van der Pooten was specifically focused on photography. This resulted in a number of women artists working enthusiastically on photography.  This also has contributed to Theertha’s intention of promoting photography, new media and video art within the artists’ community in Sri Lanka.  Weerasinghe’s mentoring has exposed women artists to critical thought and insightful, sometimes explosive, discussions on feminism, art and women’s art practices.  All these knowledge transfers have contributed to enhancing the criticality and innovation in women artists’ work.   As such, Theertha and the WAC would like to acknowledge both Menika van der Pooten and Jagath Weerasinghe for their support towards WAC programs. We acknowledge the Arts Collaboratory and Ford Foundation for their long term support of the Theertha Women’s Program and the WAC.

Anoli Perera

July 2010

Inoka De Silva

Cockroaches

I feel disgusted with the sexual harassments that women are subjected to by men. It is a violent intrusion into personal space, using the phallus as a weapon with power and strength, purely for male satisfaction. My work registers this unwelcome male sexual assault and the repugnancy of that act.

Janani Cooray
jananichandima@yahoo.com

Manhood

Contemporary man sustains his manhood on many physical objects such as cars, cell phones and other wearable items. My work comments on how men construct their manhood and become heroic through the association of these ‘modern’ objects. 

Krishanthi Sepalika Uluvitage

Stone Age Weapons

The man is represented as a heroic character in the overall art discourse where the male occupies a dominant role in art traditions, authorship and politics.  I perceive this ‘dominance of the male’ as an intolerable and a rough experience. Recalling the acts of the male chauvinism, I find the power of his overt masculinity threatening. I feel that writing everything in male-terms is obstructing the space and possibilities of the woman. In my work, Stone Age weapons are depicted enlarged and erected alluding to a phallus to denote the unfairly exaggerated power of the male in history, while silently hiding the role and space of women.

Lakisha Fernando
lakisha.niwanthi@gmail.com 

Your eye tries to pierce my tummy.

I find men consuming the female body through their gaze in a way that restricts the movement and expressiveness of women.

Manori  Jayasinghe
slmanori@yahoo.com

Woman’s Space

Men continue to invade women’s space physically and emotionally !!!!

Priyanthi Anusha
priyadeepthika79@gmail.com

Tatoos

The constant reaffirmation of his masculinity, virility and manhood is the foundation of man's investment on beautifying his body as a desired object.

Shamila Priyadarshani
Renuka Sevana, Thammannakulama, Anuradhapura

My intention is to show how male masculine power intrudes into women’s space (physical and mental) without women’s consent, and use it for their own sensual and sexual intentions.

Therica Miyandeniya
therica1922@yahoo.com

Shadow

The male identity casts a shadow over everything that is female. The male identity takes on many forms to fashion her according to his own liking in order to generate his own authority…The very presence of a male puts the female on her guard and alerts her to be cautious in what she does and say.  My work critically comments on this lopsided power play and the need for fresh female perspectives on countering it.

Sajeewani Hewawitharana
sajeewani77@gmail.com

Poruwa Ceremony

The main focus in my work is to critically look at the male behavior in the context of female presence at certain moments. For this, I have chosen the rituals preformed at the traditional wedding platform ‘poruwa’ and the assigned activities and the role for the male as the bridegroom.  Certain aspects of this ritual such as adorning the bride with various garments are highlighted in my work.