Ohio-based sculptor Kimberly Chapman sheds light on past and present female oppression through her sculptures on display in the Emily Davis Gallery at the Mary Schiller Myers School of Art from Aug. 2 – Oct. 6, 2023. Kimberly’s exhibit “Easy Prey” addresses topics such as female violence, reproductive rights, and the ongoing battle of inequality that women face. Focusing primarily on dark topics, Chapman uses white frost porcelain to create her sculptures.
“I like using porcelain because it almost looks like a shadow or a premonition,” Chapman stated during an exhibit walkthrough. “Using porcelain allows you to extend the belief that what my sculptures represent actually happened at some point in time.”
To prepare for a sculpture’s creation, Chapman explained that she will often start by picking a topic and researching for up to a year before she starts the sculpting process.
“I like to use visual ideas, news articles, and I will often pick a favorite artist and try to emulate their work,” Chapman states.
In the case of “Easy Prey,” Chapman took inspiration from the overturning of Roe vs. Wade when creating what she deemed the “posterchild” for the exhibit, her sculpture titled “Desperately Seeking an Amazon Fighter.”
“Roe vs. Wade was just overturned, and I couldn’t believe that happened in my lifetime,” Chapman explained. “The best way for me to address things that keep me up at night is to create an object.”
“Desperately Seeking an Amazon Fighter” depicts a woman warrior. The decoration on her helmet is meant to look like breast nodules. She is sculpted with no right breast due to it being removed, a practice that was common amongst Amazon warriors to heighten their accuracy when shooting arrows. She is covered with a protective amulet and has fiery red hair to show she is ready for battle.
Other work on display includes “Bridled Women,” a set of three sculptures made out of glazed porcelain that show bridles, instruments of punishment that were put on women’s heads when they were “misbehaving.” Chapman sculpted bridles that were meant to resemble a pig, a fly and a mule. These designs insinuated the women were acting like animals and that was what led them to being bridled. “Freedom Fighter: A Seat at the Roundtable” is a sculpted woman that has female reproductive organs placed on her chest made up of fruit to emulate fertility.
Kimberly Chapman’s exhibit will be on display until Friday, Oct. 6 at the Myers School of Art, located at 150 E. Exchange St. Akron, OH. Chapman has many other amazing sculptures on display that address similar topics and provide gut-wrenching, yet powerful depictions of what women have endured throughout the years and continue to undergo in present day. For more information on Kimberly Chapman and her other exhibits across Ohio, visit her website https://www.kimberlychapmansculptor.com/
