Courtesy Jemima Kirke and Sargent’s DaughtersArt & PhotographyLightboxJemima Kirke and her paintings ask why we are still getting marriedThe painter and Girls actress currently has an exhibition of paintings that raise questions over our search for a so-called happy endingShareLink copied ✔️January 4, 2018Art & PhotographyLightboxTextAshleigh KaneJemima Kirke’s The Ceremony17 Imagesview more + If you’re a marriage cynic, you’re not alone. Last month, painter and Girls actress Jemima Kirke opened a solo exhibition at New York’s Sargent’s Daughters, featuring works that explore the reasons why women are so keen to haul themselves down the aisle. For the show, titled The Ceremony, Kirke drew upon her own marriage, and eventual divorce, telling Garage, “After I got divorced I started noticing all of these friends getting married and had questions about it. I don’t understand how women who are making their own money need to marry. I love a party. I love performing. I love being the centre of attention. That’s why I love weddings and want to have a wedding. The civil part of it is what I really don’t get, unless you’re doing it for a green card, which is kind of cool. That’s kind of a dream for me because it’s a good excuse to get married.” The Ceremony also includes portraits created from the experiences of women around her, whether still married or who have also become separated. Kirke asked the women to pose in their wedding dresses, but instead of an image of the beaming bride, the painter’s subjects appear “thoughtful, even disconsolate”. Kirke told GLAM, “Weddings are totally irrational. And while the approach may vary – it's still a relatively unquestioned norm. So many smart, independent and progressive women I know having willingly participated in it. I just wanted to understand that better.” Admittedly, Kirke is not trying to provide answers but instead wants to open a discussion as to why we still strive for a so-called happy ending. The Ceremony runs at New York’s Sergent’s Daughters until 21 January 2018 Jemima Kirke’s The CeremonyCourtesy Jemima Kirke and Sargent’s DaughtersExpand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREThe Renaissance meets sci-fi in Isaac Julien’s new cinematic installationArt Basel Paris: 7 emerging artists to have on your radarInside Tyler Mitchell’s new blockbuster exhibition in ParisAn insider’s portrait of life as a young male modelRay Ban MetaIn pictures: Jefferson Hack launches new exhibition with exclusive eventArt to see this week if you’re not going to Frieze 2025Here’s what not to miss at Frieze 2025Portraits of sex workers just before a ‘charged encounter’Captivating photos of queer glamour in 70s New YorkThis erotic photobook archives a decade of queer intimacyGuen Fiore’s tender portraits of girls in the flux of adolescenceCowboys! Eagles! Death! Georg Baselitz’s prints tell a shocking life story