Claudia DeMonte portrays women with meaningful objects in latest show

The June Kelly Gallery in Soho is currently presenting an exhibition of work by Claudia DeMonte for the show Memory Keepers. DeMonte unveils a collection of sculptures and mixed media installations that depict how women from all corners of the globe and all walks of life take on numerous identities, and the various symbols and objects that hold a special significance in their lives, preserving fond memories to help carry their legacy forward to future generations.

Many of the works in the show are small-scale, colorful, wooden sculptures of faceless women surrounded by all kinds of cherished objects. For instance, one of these pieces titled Exotic Illusions depicts a woman with her hands stacked on top of her head wearing elaborate jewelry, and orange top, and a turquoise skirt below with objects including a hand, pieces of metal in the shape of animals, and several hearts, bells, frills, and shells associated with glamour and wealth.

DeMonte portrays an educated and well-traveled woman with the piece Quo Vadis. The woman’s skin is sky blue and her dress, by contrast, is light pink with designs of red peppers and on her feet are red slippers with white polka dots. She appears standing tall with one hand holding out a globe, while the other is perched on her waist, and the objects on her dress include hearts made from clay, elephant tusks, boxing gloves, and the Eiffel Tower among other things. Her eclectic wardrobe suggests she’s a creative thinker with an outgoing personality.

Sei Mani (2016) by Claudia DeMonte

Two other wooden sculptures titled Sei Mani and Ammeda respectively both depict women with five arms emerging from their chests with each one carrying something completely different. The objects in their hands are a purse which represents a stylish woman, a teddy bear which represents a woman’s maternal instincts, a birthday cake representing the traditional roles of women who bake, a stack of books representing intelligence, and a laptop to represent a modern-day working woman.

Sei Mani and Ammeda appear to be two variations of the same sculpture but depict woman of different ethnic backgrounds. In Sei Mani, the woman has bright pink skin, blonde hair, and is wearing a light blue dress decorated with meaningful objects while Ammeda portrays a black woman with the objects in her hands being black and she’s wearing a plain, ruby red dress to illustrate simplicity. The objects she’s holding bear witness to her life.

Besides the wooden sculptures, other works in the show include Aiutame, an installation of 40 different colored life-sized hands made from acrylic on pulp paper lined up together on the gallery wall, and Regalo, a bonze sculpture of a woman’s hand wearing a bracelet with images of shoes and a wine bottle on it, as she holds a tiny teddy bear between her thumb and index finger.

At The June Kelly Gallery, 166 Mercer St., through May 21st. The gallery is open Tue.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.