A recurring theme in the work of artist Lígia Teixeira, the female universe and its social questions and representations are currently on display in Rio de Janeiro in the exhibition “Confinadas” (Confined), curated by Osvaldo Carvalho. This body of work was one of three selected from 300 entries in the 6th Piccola Galleria Selection Program, which she presented at the Casa Fiat de Cultura in Belo Horizonte last year. For the exhibition at the Centro Cultural Correios, several new series were developed addressing ageism, as well as issues of race and gender—illustrated by Black and trans brides, among other works—totaling approximately 50 small-format paintings and one large-format canvas. There is also a series titled “Caladas” (Silenced), in which masked women allude to the persistent difficulty regarding the female voice in society.
“The exhibition is an introspective journey”
Begun during the pandemic, the works in “Confinadas”—a clear allusion to that period—reveal solitary female characters, often confined to their domestic environments. In a broader sense, they serve as a metaphor for discussing the silencing and erasure of women throughout the centuries. They appear, for instance, in unusual scenes, such as bathing in a kitchen sink, observing a pan on fire, or simply standing with their backs to the viewer, looking at a wall behind a sofa. According to the artist, the minimalist atmosphere of the exhibition is intentional, as are the disconnected and ambiguous elements present in many of the paintings, designed to pique curiosity and provoke a sense of estrangement in the viewer.
