Aleksandra Kalisz

Notions of Women is a project developed as part of my doctoral research at the University of Porto, Portugal. Through this series of paintings, I explore the evolving concept of femininity and its representation in contemporary visual culture. The works focus on the female figure and the ways in which the feminine has been, and continues to be, portrayed within artistic and cultural contexts. 
 

In this series, I also consider the historical use of symbolic elements such as objects, animals, and flowers traditionally associated with womanhood. By revisiting these motifs, I aim to explore how cultural symbolism has influenced the visual language of femininity over time. Additionally, I revisit past works and themes from European art history, reinterpretting them through a contemporary lens. By engaging with these visual traditions, I seek to question established narratives and examine how historical portrayals continue to shape present-day perceptions of womanhood.
 

Notions of Women seeks to reflect on the interconnection between women and nature—an enduring theme deeply embedded in the history of Western art. From allegorical portrayals of fertility goddesses and idealised figures in Renaissance and Rococo paintings to modernist muses and reinterpretations of the female form, the association between femininity and the natural world has served as both poetic ideal and cultural construct. By engaging with this lineage, the project investigates how these visual tropes have perpetuated notions of beauty, purity, and sensuality, while also questioning their significance in today’s context. Through this dialogue with art history, Notions of Women rethinks the ways in which the female body and nature continue to intertwine as symbols of creativity, transformation, and identity.