Exhibition Information
Artist: Maria Abrahamian
Media: Ceramics, Steel, Plastic, Handweaving, Glass
Gallery: LBSU School of Art, Merlino Gallery
Instagram: maria.montiel.abrahamian
About the Artist
Maria Abrahamian, the artist of this exhibition, is currently an undergraduate student working towards her ceramics BFA at CSULB. Aside from her studies and undertakings as an artist, Maria also works as a banker which she says gives her some ideas for her art. Nonetheless, she attributes this exhibition to her upbringing in the Midwest with a strong emphasis on the social expectations there.
Formal Analysis
There were many different pieces of art within this exhibition with varying sizes and forms. Most notably, there was a large work of art in the center of the room with smaller forms of art surrounding it. For the large work of art, Maria laid out ceramic numbers that surrounded a gym bag stuffed with tights and eggs. In fact, most of Maria’s art within the exhibit had eggs in them! I really enjoyed this as it gave her exhibition a sense of familiarity and a sort of child-like silliness to it. The vivid primary colors of the gym bag as well as in the weave hanging from an oven door on the wall also gave me a really cozy, easy-going feeling. These warm, bright colors really contrasted with the drab white color found in the ceramic numbers, eggs, and shopping cart. However, I believe that this choice of design really helped the more colorful aspects of the piece shine through.
Content Analysis
Maria’s exhibition explores the subject of leaving behind what we no longer need as we grow up. More specifically, she refers to leaving behind memories of self-consciousness in her pursuit of womanhood. This can be seen through her inclusion of eggs throughout her exhibition. To her, these eggs symbolized ideas of both sustenance and fertility — reminding us that the prospect of motherhood is present throughout a woman’s life whether it be in her childhood or beyond. Her art also involves various types of what could be traditionally seen as “women’s work” such as cooking, grocery shopping, and baking. She takes this idea and challenges society’s current view on gender roles, asking whether there is safety to be found in what used to hold her back.
Synthesis
I thought that Maria’s exhibition was very creative and clearly conveyed the ideas she wanted to express. The art pieces really resonated with me because it reminded me of the women in my life and what struggles they’ve either overcome or are going through as a result of society’s expectations of women. Though the content of the exhibition is definitely a serious subject, the formal aspects of the piece helps keep an air of comfort and relatability to Maria’s art. When I first entered the gallery, this exhibition really caught my eye because I thought that the inclusion of eggs was brilliant as it could be seen as a goofy, fun aspect to her art. However, upon talking to Maria and listening to her ideas for the exhibition, the eggs took on a more significant role as a symbol for the femininity of her exhibition. The way an egg can be seamlessly used as a symbol for child-like imagination as well as fertility seemed extremely interesting to me and really led me to enjoy her exhibition!
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