
María Berrío
Set adrift and glimmering with pieces of gold paper, rhinestones, and glitter, this congregation appears calm and fixed amidst the chaos of their world. In El arca de Noel, Columbian artist María Berrío presents her interpretation of the iconic scene of Noah’s Ark. Notably, in Berrío’s world, the only visible human inhabitants of the ark appear to be women and girls. The figures stand or sit--dignified, and yet, seemingly preoccupied--their stares looking beyond the viewer. When discussing her works, Berrío notes that she “depicts scenes of refuge,” wherein “women rise to meet contemporary challenges in ancient guises.” This connection Berrío forges between the present and the past allows us to wander through history and to consider new, dynamic ways to understand femininity, womanhood, and the bonds groups of women share.