Nesting, change, the power of the feminine; A treasure, the driving force of creation are some of the concepts behind Treasure Of Bachué – an exhibition of new paintings exploring the feminine underworld by Colombian artist Katherine Gailer at Melbourne’s No Vacancy Gallery from 27 June 2017.
Inspired by mythical tales from South America, the artist unfolds a narrative in which the strengths, dreams and fragility of the Land of Bachué are revealed. Bachué is a goddess, who according to the Muiscas (Indigenous people from the Andean highlands) is the mother of humanity, a source of life and her treasure remains hidden in sacred mountains and beneath the feminine underworld.
Most of the works in the exhibition portray women and natural forms going through an experience of transformation, representing the different aspects of a land that is woven, where the tropical rain forests are embodied and diversity springs out of the nests of golden women. Gailer’s compositions call upon the wild woman, her connection to the land and honour the empowerment of a new contemporary female identity. This exhibition is proudly supported by Melbourne-based non-profit The Global Women’s Project.
Katherine Gailer studied for a Bachelor of Fine Arts and completed an Arts Management Masters Degree – both at RMIT University. Originally from Colombia and currently working in Australia, Gailer draws on her diverse background to combine elements of sacred geometry, mythology, animals, and the spiritual realm, and pave the way for the development of a new archetypal imagery, steeped in primal feelings and strongly rooted in cultural and spiritual identity.
Elements of balance and tension are often juxtaposed throughout her work, underscoring the main theme that looks at the complex relationship between fragility and strength, vulnerability and empowerment– elements which in essence come to define female experience. Moreover the representation of the female subject is one of her core inspirations: the investigation of the female body as a symbol of sexuality, motherhood, beauty and ambiguity. Her work incorporates painting, drawing, and illustration.
The Global Women’s Project is a non-profit organisation based in Melbourne that supports women in developing communities to build better lives for themselves. Working in partnership with local women-led organisations, they give women the precise resources and means they need to exercise more choice, more control and more independence in their lives. Currently working in Nepal and Cambodia, their initiatives range in scope, from vocational, business development and job-readiness training, to leadership and rights awareness training, support networks and market-based social enterprise.
Treasure Of Bachué
Project Space – No Vacancy Gallery, Federation Square, Melbourne
Exhibition: 27 June – 9 July 2017 (opening night: Thursday 29 June 2017 – 6.00pm)
Free Admission
For more information, visit: www.no-vacancy.com.au or www.katherinegailer.com for details.
Image: Katherine Gailer, Nesting, 2017 (detail), oil and gold leaf on linen