Mark International Women’s Day on March 8 by celebrating women in art, fashion, food and cinema
See: Dora Maar at Tate Modern
Now in its final weeks, Tate Modern’s blockbuster survey of Dora Maar’s life and career is a must-see (the show runs until March 15, 2020). Maar’s career was overlooked during her lifetime as she became known as simply Picasso’s muse – but her work, often laced with Surrealism and interested in politics, is cutting-edge and compelling in its own right. “Part of the thinking behind the exhibition is to think about Maar as someone who has been mythologised, whose image has been used, particularly in Weeping Woman,” Emma Lewis, assistant curator at Tate, told AnOther. “But how much do we know about her, how far can we get beneath and beyond that? That’s what the exhibition will do.”
Watch: Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Céline Sciamma’s new film Portrait of a Lady on Fire has finally arrived in UK cinemas, after making waves at Cannes and winning the festival’s Queer Palm award – making Sciamma the first female director to do so. The film follows the charged romance between Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) and Marianne (Noémie Merlant) in 18th-century France, Marianne having been commissioned in secret to paint Héloïse’s wedding portrait. “Working with Céline was really elegant, in every element. I really liked that,” Merlant told Claire Marie Healy. “It was also mainly women on set. There were men on the crew, of course, [but] compared to other sets it was more women than usual.”
Buy: Jewellery by emerging female designers
A host of the most exciting jewellery designers breaking into the industry today are women. Why not invest in a carefully crafted piece? From the opulent Rococo-esque designs of Alighieri (Rosh Mahtani, the designer behind the brand, recently won the Queen Elizabeth II Award at London Fashion Week), Georgia Kemball or Joanne Burke, to the avant-garde designs of Emily Frances Barrett or sculptural pieces by Gala Colivet-Dennison.
Listen: Podcasts like Asking for It, The Catch & Kill Podcast, The Dream and Anthems
A rainy March weekend is perfect for discovering new podcasts. From debunking the multifarious myths surrounding the wellness industry (The Dream) and celebrating women and their words through speeches, manifestos and rallying cries (Anthems) to Ronan Farrow’s behind-the-scenes insight into his Harvey Weinstein investigation, featuring the whistleblowers and undercover operatives he gained information from (The Catch & Kill Podcast) and a compelling fictional series delving into the life and loves of a woman named Goldie (Asking for It).
See: Donna Huanca’s exhibition WET SLIT at Simon Lee Gallery
“I feel that the layering of paint on the skin, and the meditation in the performances can facilitate a letting go of the ego – letting go of the way our bodies and appearances are constructed and seen within the limited gaze of patriarchal society,” Bolivian-American artist Donna Huanca told AnOther, as her solo show at Simon Lee Gallery, WET SLIT, opened. Huanca – whose work also recently appeared in Jefferson Hack’s exhibition Transformer: A Rebirth of Wonder – imagines a future that is female with her arresting work, drawing attention to the skin and always working with femme models and figures for her pieces.
Eat: Stoney Street, Borough Market
Alex Hely-Hutchinson’s Borough Market outpost Stoney Street is hosting a special lunch in honour of International Women’s Day this weekend. Hely-Hutchinson has invited a selection of top female chefs and sommeliers to create a lunch that celebrates women in the industry, with profits from ticket sales going to the charity Women for Women International.
