The ancient Greeks had many representations of aerial Female Gods such as Gorgon Medusa, Artemis, Harpies, etc.  and often are depicted as Female Birds of Prey.  The myth and iconography of Aerial Females persists through history, although in more Patriarchal societies, their power is denied, becoming more like ornaments. Beneath the latex shroud is a Mano Fica, an amulet for magical protection against the evil eye primarily found in Italy and in America among descendents of Italian immigrants. The Mano Fica in this work is defiant, a counter-gesture against the patriarchal system.

Bitch Falcon- APPARATUS 

This work explores the ancient Etruscan Practice of Haruspicy - a divination by which the entrails of sacrificial animals are examined. It is also an  attempt to convey artists’ visceral  processes, the canvass envisaged as a vessel,  holding pigment-blood

 Sang Bleu

Envisaged as archeological dystopian assemblages and exploring mythological and personal narratives, these works to me are apotropaic sculpture-amulets and esoteric spaces, from which one can resist the repressive discriminatory framework of patriarchal culture. Through the challenging process of casting the intangible air from oxygen canisters in cement, my intention was also to reflect on the collective and personal feeling of anxiety brought upon the current ecological emergencies.
The work is informed by archeologist Marija Gimbutas and her Kurgan Matrilinear hypothesis. In particular the political body of women, the return of the feminine - intended as all modes of being (her/their) - and the personification/incarnation of the woman as a creatrix, fighter and destroyer. 

An implacable necessity of liminality 

In this work I examine the role of contemporary ‘urban-goddesses’ and fighters such as Lucha Libre women wrestlers (Luchadoras) - suggesting the real struggle women face is against the many forms of gendered violence and sexist patriarchal culture.

Luchadora Feminista - Matrilineal  jug (Pink version)

This work is part of a series of portraits of Aloe Vera  plants taken from my mother’s home-land in Italy, which in turn were planted by grandmother. To this day my mother uses the fluid from these plants to heal skin ailments. I uprooted one of the Mother-Plants and re-rooted it in my home country in Ireland.  These works  to me are migrant, landless fossilised memories and personal healing signifiers, with a reference also to the Rhizome theory of connectivity - theorised by Deleuze and Guattari ( A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, 1980 ).

OFFICINALIS I 

Began as an recollection of my Bi-cultural identity, this work also investigates perceptions of healing mechanism, current ecological emergencies and liminal spaces.

A chronic exuberance-Episode I

This work is based on reflections of the sacrificial role of women, femicide  and the struggle against gender violence.  The depiction of the leporine figure references its portrayal in mythology and ancient cultures as a symbol of fertility and shapeshifting. The plant forms are representations of Aloe Vera rhizome clusters reflecting on perspectives of migration and personal healing signifiers directly connected with my mixed heritage and migrant background. In this work I also explore Deleuze & Guattari Rhizome concept using this idea as structure from which to investigate Deterritorialized (uprooted/displaced) ritualistic practices The stainless plinth-table/funerary-pyre is a reference to forensic science, a sacrificial altar, a dystopian resting temple/shrine for gender violence victims.

I was once a Liminal Daughter

I created this series of works while researching the escalation of violence against women and femicides in our contemporary society  The series references global contemporary and archaic feminist icons of resistance, such as Sheela Na Gig, Penthesilea and Medusa and depicts semi-fictional Gorgonian figures. The vessel forms are inspired by Bellarmine ‘witch jugs’ and  Etruscan votive pottery, reflecting on the patriarchal role against women during the middle ages

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Cecilia Bullo

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