Women Breaking Boundaries juxtaposes art by women artists from the 17th century to current times. This creates an interesting dialogue between works of different times and places about women's common issues and perceptions. “What I love about this exhibition is the way the works create conversation,” says Ainsley M. Cameron, PhD, Curator of South Asian Art, Islamic Art & Antiquities. “We’ve interspersed works from our historic collection alongside works by contemporary, living artists. By creating these unexpected pairings and juxtapositions–works that wouldn’t normally feature in the same gallery–I’m hoping our visitors pause and take notice. Self-identified female artists have been confronting the imbalance of power based in gender, social and racial politics throughout history. That’s not a new narrative. But the way we’re talking about it is.”
Using work from the permanent collection, Women Breaking Boundaries brings together a cross-departmental selection of 38 artworks from Europe, North America and Asia. The exhibition features a variety of media, including oil on canvas, metalwork, ceramics, prints, photography and fashion.