SHE

Questions of self-identification as a woman, attempts to gain integrity and accept myself as so diverse led me to a series of works where I explore the theme of feminine destiny imposed on us by fairy tales, legends and the main biblical myth.

Garden. She. Eve. Lilith.

There was Eve and there was Lilith, even before Eve.

Why were there two first women? We know the story of Eve well, but almost nothing about Lilith, who existed before her.

There was Lilith, equal to Adam, and then there was Eve, flesh and blood of Adam.

Eve is blamed for all the sins of humanity, while Lilith chose freedom, and both were punished for their choices. It doesn’t matter whether you are a conditionally “good or bad girl” – you will still be punished; both myths carry this message.

They perfectly illustrate how the attitude towards women has evolved over centuries, viewing them as beings made of the flesh and blood of men, hence subordinate. From these stories, we learn what the world expects from a woman and for what she will inevitably be punished. That’s why it can be so challenging for us to be ourselves, to accept ourselves, our nature, and to make our choices against imposed patterns.

Eve is bold and courageous; I don’t think she succumbed to persuasion. She took what she wanted, and we all should be grateful to her for her courage and choice. Lilith shows us that there is an alternative, a way to live not according to someone else’s plan but to make our own choices in life.