Lineage
Curated by: Kris Racaniello
Chiara No
Hale Ekinci
K Sarrantonio
Jennifer May Reiland
OPENING: Thurs, Jan. 5th, 6-8pm
Exhibition: Jan 5- Feb 18
Hours: Thurs-Sat, 12-6pm
Lineage presents the work of four exceptional artists: Chiara No, Hale Ekinci, K Sarrantonio, and Jennifer May Reiland. Presenting historical object narratives and archival materials along side works centered on the long and fluctuating history of reproductive justice, (de)gendered labor, and queer histories these artists create based on these lineages, the exhibition shows both the depth of research each artist engages and the long history of reproductive justice. Mythmaking and heroizing historical and imaginary figures, each artist takes an innovative approach to “history making” through their beautifully crafted objects and images. Care in the face of violence has been a long-term, effective response to gendered and reproductive sadism and cruelty, and these works turn to examine the artist’s chosen forebearers through this extended chain of resistance. From goddess-demons, to anonymous wetnurses, to Anna Nicole Smith and the Virgin Mary, a slow vision of reimagined forebearers emerges, populating this exhibition with stories that have been purposefully erased from dominant histories.
But how do these artists create such poignant works, situated at the intersection of fact and imaginary? Lineage presents not only the artist’s final products, but the archival and historical materials they use as sources of inspiration, displaying an object-genealogy for viewers to explore and interact with that might help them to better understand the depth of time and layers of identities compiled and compressed into each work in the show.
Imagining histories into the “vocal void,” these artists illuminate otherwise untold stories of the history of reproductive justice and the fight for autonomy and worth throughout time. Chiara No’s work sits at the crossroads of intersectional histories, dominant cultural narratives, gender identity and magico-religious practices. The works included in this exhibition explore the demonization of historical and mythological women, and their connection and freedom from narratives of fertility and reproduction. Hale Ekinci’s work turns to the tradition of oya lace, which first appeared in the 8th century BCE with the Phrygians of Anatolia and has continued to the present day in Turkey. Its use of symbolic patterns served as a secret language between women to express personal sentiments throughout history. Ekinci uses ancestral photographs and this lace technique to probe the long history of gendered labor and reproductive resistance. K Sarrantonio creates screenprints on ceramic tiles to form fragmented grids that engage with the fight for queer, trans, and reproductive rights, while referencing historical and contemporary struggles around fetishization, representation and silence. Jennifer May Reiland’s work explores the intersection of religion, cults of personality, and celebrity. The works included in this exhibition focus on long histories of virginity, purity, pregnancy, (spiritual) desire, and the intimate and often silent space of womens’ sexual, spiritual, and reproductive histories.
About the Artists:
K Sarrantonio is a genderqueer visual artist working in printmaking and video to represent aspects of queer domesticity and contemplate the gendering of the body. K lives and works in Brooklyn.
Hale Ekinci is a multidisciplinary Turkish artist based in Chicago. She received her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts & Media at Columbia College Chicago and is currently an Associate Professor of Art & Design at North Central College. Focusing on personal history, hybrid identity, gender politics, and craft traditions, her works vary from videos to embroidery paintings embellished with vibrant colors, patterns, and cultural relics.
Jennifer May Reiland takes inspiration from the small, personal books of hours and lives of saints which elite medieval women commissioned and carried on their persons, telling the stories of illustrious, tragic, or overlooked historical women. Her work often makes connections between historical saints and the lives of modern-day celebrity martyrs. A graduate of Cooper Union, she has received grants and residencies from Queens Museum, The Drawing Center, the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, the Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship, and Lawndale Art Center.
Chiara No has been exhibiting for over 10 years both nationally and internationally. Her work on paper is in the Whitney's Special Collection, the Walker Art Center Library and Archives and at Printed Matter. No lives and works in Vermont.
