AK

Notions of Women is a painting series developed as part of my doctoral research at the University of Porto, exploring femininity and its representation in contemporary visual culture. Through the female figure, the works examine how ideas of womanhood have been shaped by art history, cultural symbolism, and social narratives.

The series revisits symbolic motifs traditionally associated with femininity — including flowers, animals, and decorative objects — alongside references to European art history, reinterpreted through a contemporary perspective. By engaging with these visual traditions, the project questions inherited ideas surrounding beauty, identity, sensuality, and the female body.

At the heart of the project is the relationship between women and nature, a recurring theme throughout Western art history. Through painting, Notions of Women reflects on how femininity continues to be constructed, idealised, and reimagined in contemporary culture.