Yaeko Suzuki has consistently presented her works on the theme of ‘girly innocence’ since her solo exhibition in 2010. She used to create delicate images using classical oil painting techniques and attracts viewers by rejecting the interference of the outside world. Each painting was like a cocoon that protects and confines her.
With her current artwork content, the artist is hoping to address the struggle of living in developed yet still patriarchal world. Her upcoming solo exhibition ‘The Garden of Lilith’ depicts the glory of sapphism, it shows an attempt to escape oppression, to accept oneself.
The main painting with the same title is a reverse response to Eve, a sacred being, who has been used as a tool to oppress women and shows Lilith, the first woman God created before Eve, who refused Adam’s rule and became a symbol of liberation and unbridledness.
The two girls in the painting who face each other are the future and the past, who meet in a moment of realization, that they are unrestricted. Yaeko’s girls are no longer hiding behind cute frills and tulles, but with challenging look they move forward to break from male dominance.
The world of her work is a place you can't easily set foot in, but the message is strong and empowering.
