They just look like common black and white polka dots on the paintings, but if you take a closer look, you will notice that they are actually made of hair.

"Polka dot-white" and "Polka dot-black" by female artist Cai Yaling. (Photo: Monica Liu)

The two paintings entitled "Polka dot-white" and "Polka dot-black" were created by female artist Cai Yaling using her mother's white hair to create polka dot patterns on a piece of black cloth, and Cai's mother using the artist's black hair to sew the same patterns on a piece of white cloth.

For Cai Yaling, the polka dot pattern derived from her mother's shirt in her childhood is the symbol of growth, and the white polka dots on the painting are the bygone days of her mother.

These paintings are only a small part of the exhibition entitled "Her Narrative: A Female Perspective of GDMoA Collection" underway at the Guangdong Museum of Art (GDMoA) from now till August 12, 2021, showcasing traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings, woodblock paintings, sculptures, photos, videos and more. 

An artwork on view at the exhibition. (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

Female perspective used to be a supplement to narrative, however, it has become one of the mainstream topics in recent days. This tremendous leap empowers female artists with endless vitality for creation.

In order to probe into female artists' creations by repositioning those artists in different identities, the exhibition mainly covers three parts as the followings:

In the first part, the exhibition views females as individuals and tries to display their insistence of their own selves with the help of the artworks.

In the second part, the exhibition regards females as observers. It notices their outward visions since they are concerned about the society and sensitive to the changes of the times. Among the scenes they have captured, their narratives are inspired by daily life, which are related to women's issues to some degree.

In the last section, the exhibition tries to find a clue to understand women's narratives in their specific role of relationship. For example, "she" can serve as a daughter, a mother, a wife or a friend.

"Female artists have their own exquisite and sensitive inner language as well as an instinctive empathy," said Liao Shani, the curator of the exhibition, "In addition, as observers, they can transcend gender identity and focus on society and reality to care about the people's real lives. They are aware of the identity and emotion in the relationship, and participate in exploring and constructing the imagination of the future."

According to Wang Shaoqiang, the director of Guangdong Museum of Art, the museum has always been concerned with the mindset, the creation and the development of female artists, and has made these as an important direction in academic research. This exhibition will lead you to experience the diverse expressions of women artists through their creations in the collection. Don't miss out.

 An oil painting by female artist Guan Zilan. (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

Tickets: Free

Time: 9:00-17:00, closed on Mondays, July 23 to August 13, 2021

Venue: Galleries No.10, 11, 12, Guangdong Museum of Art

Add.: No.38, Yanyu Road, Ersha Island, Guangzhou (广州市二沙岛烟雨路38号）

Transportation: Take Metro Line 5 and get off at Wuyangcun Station (五羊邨站), use Exit B, and then take Bus No. B21, 89, 781 or 194 at Guangzhou Daqiaobei Station, get off at Ershadong Station.

How to participate: Please line up at the entrance of the museum with your passport to register your personal information and health condition before entry.

Tips:

● There will be 100 on-site registration quotas available in the morning and in the afternoon respectively. First come, first served.

● Only individual visitors get admissions, and each adult is allowed to bring one minor under the age of 14.

Author | Nancy (intern)

Editor | Monica & Jerry