25.09.2023

The Ukrainian Association for Female Research in Art (UAFRA), with the support of the Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine (18 D, Ye. Konovaltsia St., Kyiv), is hosting the Fifth Contemporary Female Art Festival / Contemporary Women's Art Fest - 2023 from 14 to 30 September 2023. This year's title is "Allegory of Power (Spring)".

In 1470, Sandro Botticelli created the Allegory of Power (Spring), a painting that embodies moral fortitude and strong will. It depicts a young woman in armour, who radiates fragility and femininity along with fortitude, moral strength and a confident calm. More than half a millennium later, this female image remains an object of admiration and an embodiment of the fundamental characteristics of female nature. The paradigms of the epochs are shifting, and the role of a woman in society, her appreciation and self-esteem have grown tremendously. Femininity and confidence go hand in hand with professionalism and reliability. According to Margaret Thatcher, "if you want something done, ask a woman". What is the image of a modern woman in the view of female artists? How do they see the modern world and their own role in it? Is the fusion of fragility and strength in the female character still relevant? What is the strength of a woman? What is the source of strength and inspiration? What does a modern allegory of power look like? These are the creative questions raised at this year's Artfest.

The symbol of the Artfest is the painting "Trust" by Iryna Akimova (curator of the festival, leader of UAFRA), as mutual trust in wartime is the key to our strength and unity. The Fifth Artfest is happening in a time of war. Many Ukrainian artists are now beyond the country's borders. However, the interest in the Artfest was considerable: the creative commission received more than 100 applications.
The exhibition includes works by 28 artists: Iryna Akimova, Oksana Chepelyk, Nataliya Amirova, Anastasiya Osmolovska, Ulyana Balan, Liudmyla Bohaychuk, Tanya Vasylenko, Tetiana Voloshyna, Aliona Hrom, Hanna Denysenko, Nataliya Didenko, Maria Drozdova, Alina Zamanova, Nataliya Zinovchuk, Victoria Kartashova, Olena Kutsaia-Chapenko, Ksenia Malynka, Olena Morozova, Victoria Ostrenko, Liudmyla Poznyanska, Olena Panchenko, Iryna Prokopchuk, Kateryna Pyatakova, Kateryna Radko, Olha Rondyak, Inna Saliuk, Olesia Tkachenko, and Yulia Turyanska. Among the participants are those who have participated in all the Artfests, as well as new contributors.
Iryna Akimova comments: "The works are diverse in style, technique, and materials. They include paintings, graphics, collages, appliqués and felting, vytynanky and embroidery, experimental photography, digital art, video art and sculptures. The majority of the works were created during the war years, so they show much expression, a dramatic response to our pain, regret and tension, on the one hand, and our faith and hope for victory, on the other. In many works, the authors creatively use folk motifs and reveal national authenticity. Many of them explore femininity."

The Female Art Festival was launched in 2018 to support talented women in the arts. Over the years, more than 200 artists from Ukraine and other countries have taken part in it.