In a makeshift salon in the middle of a living room, a girl carefully shaves her friend’s long hair into a punk style. In another photograph, two girls stare defiantly at the camera with half-smiles as they lean on the motorcycle. Both images depict girls immersed in activities society would deem ‘not to be tried at home’ but nevertheless require trust and intimacy. These photographs are part of Girlhood Lore, an upcoming exhibition (held at Galleria Giampaolo Abbondio in Todi, Italy) by Mulieris Magazine, a platform for highlighting the works of women artists.

“My relationship with girlhood is complex and multifaceted,” said the exhibition’s curator, Laura Rositani. “I find myself nostalgic for the dreamy, rebellious teenager I once was, uncertain about my future but fiercely determined about the woman I wanted to become. The first image that pops  in my mind is of my bedroom at my parents’ house, filled with posters, books, and dreams, a vivid image that encapsulates that time.”

Below, we meet seven women artists featured in the show who have all interpreted what girlhood means to them, exploring its continued trajectory in their own lives through fantasy, community, rites of passage, and adulthood.

RAMONA JINGRU WANG

Ramona Jingru Wang is a lens-based artist based on the internet and New York. Her work explores how images intervene with our reality and create connections among people and space, investigating how we care for each other through photographs. 

“I think girlhood is a form of femininity that nurtures strength, care and one’s agency. It’s so exciting and fun to try out new things with my friends because, in my experience, girls growing up would always be less encouraged to be adventurous in comparison to boys – sometimes it feels like we’re breaking a taboo by trying something new.

“I am really inspired by vernacular style photographs – it is such a beautiful way of caring for the people you’re photographing. These photographs have been clicked through the past two years – most of them are from my personal project, ‘My friends are cyborgs, but that’s okay’. It explores the complex state of being cyborgs and Asian – fluid, transgressive, marginalised but also stereotyped as unemotional and inhuman.

“It is so beautiful to photograph girls or women alone in their own environment that they create solely for themselves. Being alone is a privilege. It gives one space and time to think and create without disturbance and noises that tell you what to do.”

DELALI AYIVI

Delali Ayivi is a Togolese and German photographer. Through the use of colour, movement and fashion, Delali creates utopic visions of Togo and its Diaspora.

“My practice is heavily inspired by my multinational upbringing and the dynamic between Afro-European and diasporan identity. A lot of my work and the life I live is about doing justice to my younger self and the women after me, like my sister. At the same time, remembering the lightness of girlhood is a big source of energy and inspiration. Community is a big part of my core – even as a kid I always tried to bring friends together, start a girl gang or a dance club.

“Most of my works exist in a realm that is slightly disconnected from their geographic context, often I use my surroundings but give them a studio feel, for example, a single-toned blue sky or a wall. I enjoy using elements that are playful or feel at odds with the environment. The image was created as part of a series called My Chest Has Its Reasons where my creative partner Malaika Nabillah and I were looking at cultural differences and what connects us growing up in Togo versus me growing up in the diaspora.

“I think girls are often taught to be afraid of solitude. As kids, we were taught that if you hold a shell to your ear, you can hear the waves of the sea crashing. The capital of Togo lies by the Atlantic Sea – my dad has always taught me about the Ewe’s connection to the sea and I spent much of my time in the waters whenever I needed inspiration or clarity. Floating on the water is a perfect moment of solitude – all you have are views of the blue sky in Togo and the sounds of the Atlantic Sea.”

LUCIA JOST

Lucia Jost is a portrait and reportage photographer born in 1998 in Berlin. She works with analogue processes and focuses on artist portraits with a feminist approach. Using nostalgic visual language she gives a poetic insight into womanhood, Berlin and her generation.

“For me, photography is a way of escaping the fast-paced digital world we live in. By working on the analogue medium, I take my time with each shot and get on a personal level with the person before my camera. My work is about the feeling of comfort and belonging – the comfort of being connected to your hometown and your family of choice; the comfort and the freedom of becoming who you want to be with the support only women can give to each other – that’s girlhood to me.

“I grew up among strong women – for me, that always seemed very normal, until I grew up and realised how much work emancipation can be. Since I was 13, I have had ten really good friends – in that pack I feel safe and invincible. I’ve always been fascinated by old record covers as a kid – I stage young women in their everyday lives as the rock stars I see in them. With my portraits, I want to open up a space in which intimacy, confidence and relationships between women find their place.”

PILAT

PILAT (AKA Pil Anna Tesdorpf) is an illustrator and painter from Denmark, currently based in Barcelona. A passionate traveller, she draws inspiration from her journeys and feminist themes, including the representation of women in sports. PILAT has focused on illustration and mural art in recent years.  

“Girlhood was a defining period in my life. I often felt like an outsider during my teenage years; I had different hobbies from my classmates and wore quirky homemade outfits. I found my place among other girls who also felt like outsiders – they helped me feel accepted during those years when standing out can feel so isolating.

“My practice is deeply influenced by where I am. My inspiration comes from my daily life and experiences. I’ve always been drawn to vibrant colours – they also work well in posters and murals; they catch the eye and create an immediate impact, which is essential in public art.

“When Mulieris contacted me, I was at a film festival at the Awserd refugee camp in Western Sahara. I began to draw connections between my own experiences growing up in Denmark and those of girls in the camp. No one wanted to be the first or the last to wear a bra in my teenage years – similarly with the melfa in camp. Girlhood is a vulnerable time, which makes having a supportive community so crucial.”

DADDYBEARS

Daddybears is a female textile artist and sculptor based in London. She received her MA in menswear design from the Royal College of Art. She uses her knowledge of pattern cutting for garments to create three-dimensional objects away from the body, filling a space with twisted fantasy sculptures. 

“I’m a textiles and soft sculpture artist. I make objects and images out of satin plush and embroidery. My work uses a lot of hand-sewing and found objects as structures to build on. Textiles are still seen as a lesser art form due to their inherent female ties. I reference themes found in childhood such as fairy tales, toys, teddy bears, etcetera.

“I try to look for the parts of my imagination I would use as a child, when it felt so easy to use anything to create another world to escape to. Girlhood to me means pink, friends, secrets, sleepovers, the nourishing of obsession and the intimacy of bonds between girls.

“My piece in the show is ‘Surrounded by Angels’. It’s a life-size napping chamber to curl up in. This year I found myself in need of support which I got, and I quite literally felt surrounded by a group of angelic women who purely wanted to help with what I was going through. The work is a dedication to those women and the feeling of relaxation in a safe space.”

YUFI YAMAMOTO

Yufi Yamamoto is a painter from and based in Japan. Influenced by So-Cal's street and surf culture, Yufi is known for her retro, dreamy, and nostalgia-inducing paintings.

“My current theme for several years has been painting landscapes and women in them. I grew up in Japan, until I was 15 and my mom sent me to Seattle as an international student; then I moved to California for college. California offers so many colours – the dry climate meets the ocean creating unrealistic colourscapes. I’ve surfed a lot in South California – surfing used to be the symbol of punk and rebellion against mainstream society. 

“I tend to paint women in solitude because that was who I was. Living in two different countries with opposite cultures gave me joy and obstacles. I cherish friends and their companionship now more than ever. The girls in my paintings enjoy each other’s company, but they respect each other’s boundaries. My women figures are naked and not thin-bodied. I currently live in Japan, where the ideal woman is weak and subordinate. People forget to express emotions. For me, girlhood is knowing who I am, being allowed to care, being emotional and vulnerable and finding strength in these things.” 

INÈS MICHELOTTO 

Inès Michelotto is a multidisciplinary artist, originally from Italy and now based in London. Her practice ranges from theatrical costume design and drawing, but is mainly focused on painting. She paints her own experience of transition topics and the people in the queer community who were fundamental to her personal growth. 

“Girlhood is a journey. For me, it has been one of acceptance  – of my body, of my identity. It has been tumultuous with hormonal imbalance, tears and hate from the outside. My girlhood made me strong. It happened a bit later in life and it was something I wanted so bad. I was so happy to see my body changing, it gave me strength, it made me independent, and it made me so proud of my body. Now I feel like I basically want to be naked all the time! Without the support from the girls around me, along with one of my queer family, I wouldn’t be the woman I am now. Girlhood is survival, being able to cry and be vulnerable together. Girlhood is about being stubborn and careless.”

Girlhood Lore by Mulieris Magazine is running at Galleria Giampaolo Abbondio in Todi, Italy, from September 14 until November 3, 2024.