The documentary project Woman: Hood, created by Iowa City based artist Satomi Kawai, will be available for virtual viewing through June 30, 2021. Pairing video interviews with ten women from Iowa and beyond with visual art created by a collective of local artists, this exhibition explores the myriad complex experiences of femininity.
Satomi Kawai emigrated to Iowa from Japan and in doing so, confronted a vast shift in cultural practices. The experience caused her to rethink her ideas of femininity, including its varied physical, mental, social, and psychological aspects. This is her first documentary project. Satomi Kawai is a renowned contemporary jewelry artist who creates wearable objects and ornamentation in addition to drawings, prints, and performance art.
Listen to the conversation here with Satomi Kawai and with artist/curator/educator Vero Rose Smith about the inspiration behind this project, the community of artists who collaborated to produce the visual art, and why the lived experiences of women need to be told.
A virtual Zoom reception will be held Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 7:30 PM, during which you can meet the women who shared their stories and the artists who created the paired art work. You can also join the online event on Facebook.