The exhibition opens on Friday 20th March at 7:30pm.
Have you ever seen striking portraits of women painted directly onto slices of stone? That’s exactly what ‘Madonnas on the Rocks’, the newest exhibition by American artist SJ Fuerst, will showcase at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq from Friday 20th March to Sunday 5th April.
The exhibition presents Fuerst’s latest body of work, in which she confronts the fragile beauty of the Earth and the scars humanity continues to leave upon it. Created in response to witnessing humanitarian crises unfold around the world, the series reflects on a time when corruption, greed, and hatred often seem to go unchecked.
The medium the artist uses is deeply symbolic: the rock represents the precarious position many women face today as societies in different parts of the world slide toward extreme conservatism, violence, and open misogyny.
Yet despite its sobering themes, ‘Madonnas on the Rocks’ is ultimately an exhibition about resilience, beauty, and hope.
‘It’s interesting that being “on the rocks” means to be going through a very difficult time, whereas “being a rock” means being a steadfast, safe place, impervious to surrounding difficulties’, Fuerst explains. ‘Rocks represent both sides of struggle; the hardship itself as well as the grit needed to overcome it.’
The stones featured in the exhibition highlight the incredible diversity found in nature – a diversity that mirrors the goodness and strength within humanity. For every destructive force in the world, there are people who resist it. For every act driven by greed or hatred, there are others driven to create, rebuild, and protect.
Curated by Melanie Erixon, the exhibition opens with a launch event at 7:30pm on Friday 20th March. At the end of the show, 20% of all sales will be donated to a women’s rights organisation, helping support those working toward equality and justice.
Will you be there?