Two Artists Who Specialize in Bronze Women in Art

Images of women in art has been around since the beginning of time, well almost, since human figures were not used much in cave paintings. But many early civilizations depicted women in art, with the oldest piece ever found dating back to the Paleolithic era. It is a small statue known as the Venus of Willendorf and it depicts an amply endowed, naked woman. Naked women is seen quite a bit in art, both sculptures and paintings. In many societies, much of the art depicting women is celebrating womanhood, such as her fertility and role as a mother. The woman is honored.

Today the woman is still a popular model in art. Many of my favorite art pieces depict women and hi-light a woman's qualities and strengths. Two of my favorite artists specialize in bronze sculptures of women, and though their styles are very different, they both produce simple and uncomplicated forms. Their wonderful pieces are touching to the human spirit. These two artists are Ann Fleming and Nnamdi Okonkwo.

Ann Fleming lives in Oregon and used to specialize in pottery. But a few years back she decided to try her had in sculpture and discovered that she has a natural talent. Being a potter first, she approaches her sculptures by using coils of clay and building up, coil by coil. This is similar to techniques used in earlier cultures. She smooths, shapes and cuts until she achieves the movement and form she is trying to capture. Her women in art all tell a story, and all have their eyes closed, which she believes gives a sense of vulnerability. With this, and the simplicity of her art, she draws the viewer into the story that each of her pieces depict. Some characteristics that her women in art depict are: inner strength, motherhood, sisterhood, power, hope, faith, balance in life, uniqueness, trust, nurturing and love. Her art celebrates womanhood, and touch some aspect in all of us.

Nnamdi Okonkwo is about as different from Ann as possible, but his women in art is just as beautiful and touching. Nnamdi was born in Africa, and moved to America when he received a college basketball scholarship. Using basketball as an avenue, he graduated with a BFA, and later a Masters, in sculpture. He now lives in Georgia where he works full time out of his studio. The characteristics of womanhood that he strives to capture include empathy, love, resilience and strength. He depicts women with big, rotund shapes to symbolize abundant life and an outward manifestation of a largeness of soul.His work is more simple and stylized because he believes that stylization offers a greater opportunity for the "expression of universal themes and emotions". This style provokes different thoughts and ideas and can lead the viewer to introspection and contemplation. I have experienced this introspection through his art, and this has given his art a lot of personal meaning to me.

Ann and Nnamdi bring great honor to women through their art. They help us realize the important role that women play in the lives of everyone they touch, something that can be easily overlooked (often by women themselves). These depictions of women in art can add beauty to our home, as well as remind us of our own inner strengths.