Katerina Belkina, It's not a Man's World
At the Realismebeurs 2008, Galerie Lilja Zakirova presents a new face within the gallery: Russian photographer Katerina Belkina.
Elegant, dreamy female portraits. Upon closer inspection, the photographs always depict the same woman, each time embodying an archetypal fairytale figure: Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Red Riding Hood. However, instead of the carefree and inviting gaze one might expect from a fairytale character, these heroines appear introspective, lost in thought, even troubled.
In the photo series It's not a Man’s World, Russian photographer Katerina Belkina serves as her own model. Taking on the roles of the female protagonists from well-known fairytales, she poses a question to both herself and the audience: Do these long-established ideals of femininity still hold relevance in contemporary life, and if so, should we be pleased about it? Is it truly desirable to keep waiting for the prince on the white horse? In the artist’s own words:
"The world has changed drastically in recent times. The rapid pace of these changes has left society struggling with the relationship between the sexes. On the one hand, women have gained more freedom; on the other, they are less protected from themselves. No one has yet found a convincing answer to the question of what to do with this newfound freedom, and each woman attempts to navigate it based on her own experiences. (...) By stepping into the shoes of modern-day heroines from old fairytales, I want to share with the viewer a fleeting moment of profound emotions—emotions that are usually carefully hidden so as not to reveal one’s vulnerabilities."
For Belkina, fairytales embody the expectations imposed on women, on men, and on life itself—expectations that have become obsolete today. The artist employs a refined aesthetic, exceptional technical execution, carefully considered composition, and large formats with the goal of disillusioning the viewer. It is the tension between this visual richness and Belkina’s sincere, pensive, and at times outright tormented expressions that makes her work so compelling and emotionally charged. The facial expressions of her characters reveal the darker side of fairytales, as reflected in the titles of her works: Red Riding Hood or Acceptable Cruelty, Mermaid or Sacrifice, Cinderella or Confinement...
As the daughter of a painter, Katerina Belkina chose to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She trained as a painter at the art academy in Samara, deep in southern Russia. Even as a photographer, she remains engaged with painting both thematically and stylistically. Her photographs exhibit a plasticity far beyond conventional photography. Belkina manipulates her images to achieve a painterly effect, prioritizing craftsmanship above all. Thoughtfully composed down to the smallest detail, bordering on perfection, her photographs evoke the visual language of glossy fashion advertisements. Yet, while advertisements—like fairytales—portray women as seductive ideals, Belkina’s It’s not a Man’s World draws attention to a more disorienting reality.
Artworks
Bluebeard. Jealousy, edition 1/9
Cinderella. Conclusion, edition 1/9
Colombina. Renunciation, edition 1/9,
Mermaid. Sacrifice, edition 1/9
Red Riding Hood. Justified Cruelty, edition 1/9
Sleeping Beauty. Secret Desires, edition 1/9,
Snow Maiden. Eternal Expectation, edition 1/9
Snow White. Falling, edition 1/9,
Thumbelina. Disappointment, edition 1/9
Odette. Slavery, edition 1/9
Rose-Red. Envy, edition 1/9
For Schiele, edition 8
For Degas, edition 8
For Klimt, edition 8
For Picasso, edition 8
Venue
Passenger Terminal Amsterdam
Piet Heinkade 27
1019 BR Amsterdam
Netherlands
