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Junior Thesis Exhibition

Joan of Arc

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Olivia Collins - Tapestries My Junior Show is a series of three life size mixed media tapestries. The three pieces are made on unstretched canvas with oil paint, embroidery thread, and gold leaf. Each tapestry highlights a different woman from history, with the three pieces depicting a woman deriving from what is modern day France, Angola, and China. The stylized aspect of the series was influenced from exaggerated portraits such as art nouveau and even the design of tarot cards. I wanted to take a style of art that was created by male artists to sexualize women, to instead create pieces that elevate historical women for their actions. Rather than showing flowy, beautiful women in decorative spaces with no real intention, I want to show women who inspire me with imagery that relates to each of them.

Having the series be tapestries was important to me since I had the intention of including embroidery from the early stages of this project. Incorporating aspects of traditional women’s work is a theme I have referenced in past work. Sewing, embroidery, and quilting are practices that oftentimes are seen as less than in comparison to male dominated practices. This is a harmful mindset that does not allow women to create pieces that are respected. The tapestries are meant to be overwhelming with symbolic imagery and are meant to be seen close up since they
feature running thread.

Saint Joan of Arc was the first to be made into a tapestry and the overarching idea for the series began with her. I wanted to showcase women who had taken a role that was not meant for women of their lifetime, making them trailblazers for feminism. I was interested in depicting historical women since it would allow for more creative freedom as to what their appearances were. Joan of Arc was famously known for disguising herself as a male soldier to fight in the Battle of Orleans, which helped the French have an overall victory against the English during the 100 Years War. Joan of Arc in art has been depicted in many ways, oftentimes with her still long hair either flowing or tied up. I wanted to stay true to her actual life by showing her short hair that she had to match the male knights, which was a turning moment for her in regards to respect from her male peers. As the only Saint of the three tapestries, Joan of Arc is depicted with a halo inspired by religious figures from medieval art and because she lived right after the end of medieval times. Her circle frame that surrounds her was influenced by French cathedrals that were built in the early 13th century with gothic architecture, a nod to her era but also her strong connection to Catholicism. I wanted each tapestry to have symbols to signify what country they live in and to represent aspects of their time period. For Joan of Arc I had her surrounded by France’s national flower, the iris, that were meant to also resemble the fleur de lis, a symbol of France and also the Catholic Church. I wanted to stay true to how Joan of Arc is seen always looking up at God in art history since she was given visions from God and other Saints to save France. I had her hold a sword into an English rose to represent her victory.

The next figure I chose was Queen Ana Nzinga, who was alive almost two centuries after Joan of Arc. Ana Nzinga was the ruler over the two kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba, which would be located in modern day Angola. Ana Nzinga was a military leader and as queen would often lead her troops into battles. She was an ambassador for the Portuguese Empire before she rose to the monarchy and was a key figure in helping her kingdoms not be colonized by the Portuguese. Similar to other central and western African Queens of the time, Ana Nzinga declared herself as a man due to the constant backlash of being a ruler as a woman. The most well known piece of art that represents Ana Nzinga is a colored lithograph that depicts her wearing European style monarch attire. For my portrait of her, I took inspiration from a stature of her in Angola today. She is seen wearing traditional garments from her two kingdoms and a turban style head piece. I wanted to use gold leaf to showcase her jewelry and part of her head piece to emphasize her authority as queen. The gold leaf is also seen on the stars above her which represent the two kingdoms she united and the little star in the middle symbolizing her. The symbol of the star was inspired by Angola’s flag today. The circle frame around Ana Nzinga is there to showcase the Kwanza river, a crucial body of water for the two kingdoms. I also took aspects from fabrics worn in modern day Angola’s cultural events, which can be seen outlining the water aspect of the piece. Under her portrait are the leaves of Angola’s national flower the welwitschia, before full bloom, and the top of the piece shows the buds.

The third tapestry depicts Ching Shih, the leader of the Red Flag Fleet of China who ruled over 80,000 pirates. Since the Red Flag Fleet was one of the most powerful pirate organizations due to the number of pirates and ships involved, Ching Shih was the most significant pirate leader of all time. Before coming to power, she was a prostitute and was taken from her brothel by Zhèng Yi, the commander of the Red Flag Fleet. Ching Shih agreed to marry him only if they would have the same power and have equal shares. When Zhèng Yi died, she was the sole leader of the fleet. She worked extensively to have her pirates protected under the law of the government. She allowed her male pirates to marry women from captured ships if her men stayed faithful and cared for their new wife. Unfaithfulness and rape were punishable offenses by death. For the tapestry made of Ching Shih, I took inspiration from two possible real photographs of her since she lived in the first half of the 19th century. I chose to make her garment and headpiece a matching blue, to contrast the pink tones in the background. The gold leaf in this tapestry is featured through her outfit to show her wealth and power as a pirate lord. She is framed by red sails inspired from her fleet. Above her is the Azure Dragon, the symbol of the Qing Dynasty which she terrorized throughout her lifetime. Lastly, like the two tapestries before, the bottom part of the painting shows Chinese peonies. Peonies were a significant symbol in 19th century China and was their national flower during this century.

Bortolot, Alexander Ives. “Women Leaders in African History: Ana Nzinga, Queen of
Ndongo.” Metmuseum.org , Oct. 2003, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pwmn_2/hd_pwmn_2.htm.

Mrreese. “Ching Shih – from Prostitute to Pirate Lord.” Ancient Origins , Ancient Origins, www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/ching-shih-prostitute-pirate-lord-00258

Vale, Malcolm G.A., and Yvonne Lanhers. “St. Joan of Arc.” Encyclopædia Britannica ,
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 May 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Joan-of-Arc.