“We are all filled with a longing for the wild. There are few culturally sanctioned antidotes for this yearning. We were taught to feel shame for such desire. We grew our hair long and used it to hide our feelings. But the shadow of Wild Woman still lurks behind us during our days and in our nights. No matter where we are, the shadow that trots behind us is definitely four-footed.”
Marie Nova began her extensive project with a focus on hair identity, by asking others to take pictures of her hair as it is considered a priced possession within a Slavic culture. In a series of self portraits she explores how others view her character verses how she views herself.
As the project continued the artist focused on the archetypal symbolism of hair that takes a strong shape in Slavic folk tales, tradition and mythology.
Marie’s concluding work is the one where she is in full control, nude, at her most vulnerable, yet in touch with the wild archetype that has been shunned and forgotten. In Slav culture hair was primarily a symbol of feminine strength and life force. When unbraided it was considered as something very intimate.
The concluding self portrait has been on display at “Just Women” exhibition, curated by Slavica Veselinovich and organized with ImageNationa Milan at Fondazione Luciana Matalon.
The artist will extend the project with the focus on other women, their identities and cultural differences.
