Hidden Woman - Angie Phillip (Aja Gap)

I make my head as I used to,
out of a paper bag,
pull it down to the collarbone,

......... ...........

With this new head, the body now
stretched like a stocking and exhausted could
dance again; if I made a

tongue I could sing.

from 'A Paper Bag' by Margaret Atwood

The pictures and poems represent an exploration of the hidden woman and those with whom she interacts.

The paintings show woman, who is not seen, or only partially seen, by society. Woman is forced to hide because of the roles she has to play. She must hide in order to function. Her roles can be sometimes enjoyable but more frequently painful and sometimes destructive. She can be seen as both victim and manipulator, tormented and temptress, goddess and slut. Somehow she has to survive.

Woman is daughter, sister, mother, lover but most importantly she is herself. She is frequently marvellous. She is an individual, a person with her own identity, despite the fact that, from childhood onwards, she is partially or totally hidden by the powerful female roles by which society defines and confines her.

............................

This was a collaborative project where poems were written by Matt Black, Sandra Meredith, Chuma Nwokolo Jnr & Jane Spiro in response to the pictures of Angie Phillip (Aja Gap), Itsuki Matayoshi and Dai Harding.