What a woman
77 Artwork Made for Women by Women
Curators: Shirong Gu, Will Chen, Yeer Shi
Exhibition Design: Shirong Gu
Production: Mazedesign
Date: 04/27/2019 - 04/30/2019
Location: Artosino Gallery
265 W 37th St FL 16, New York, NY 10018
Photo by Wenkai Li
On April 27th, 2019 as Garment District in New York City switches to night mode, crowds of visitors head towards the opening of the “What A Woman” open call exhibition at Artosino Gallery. A show for women, made by mostly Asian women artists.
Curators: Will Chen, Yeer Shi, Shirong Gu
“Guys can be feminists,” says Shirong Gu, one of the three curators. He was responsible for installing most of the 77 pieces of artwork during installation exactly the night before. Having a strong background in designing retail display for high-end footwear, Gu joined a new collective called Zingartgroup and acts as a long-term liaison between Artosino Gallery and its artists, curating many shows. But a show for women is something new.
Collaborated with two other curators, Ye’er Shi, and Will Yunshu Chen, the three worked around the clock to review nearly 300 pieces of submissions sent by artists residing in five countries, including the U.S., China, Italy, Singapore, and the U.K.
“I wanted to try for an open call,” says Ye’er Shi. “And it was the right decision. I can see many Asian female artists in this show finding their voices through creating new work.”
Will Chen was the one who introduced de Beauvoir’s idea of “one is not born, but rather one becomes a woman” during the brainstorming. “What I am most excited about is that there are multitudes of fresh discussions around the female identity, mental frustration, self-mockery, and transgender.”
