She Carries the Sky Exhibition: A Collective Voice for Women Artists

In November 2025, Visionary Art Collective presented She Carries the Sky- a virtual exhibition and accompanying print catalogue dedicated to amplifying the voices of contemporary women artists. Curated by Ekaterina Popova, Alicia Puig, Marina Press Granger, and Liza Zhurkovskaya, the exhibition brought together an international selection of artists working across disciplines, forming a collective space that celebrates visibility, representation, and shared narrative.  

Rather than positioning women’s work within a singular theme, She Carries the Sky offered a broad and inclusive framework, highlighting the diversity of practices and perspectives shaping contemporary art today. The exhibition functioned not only as a showcase, but as a platform for connection, placing emphasis on storytelling, identity, and the act of making as a form of voice.

Poppies in October (Ode to Sylvia Plath) was selected as part of the exhibition. The piece draws directly from Sylvia Plath’s poem Poppies in October, using the flower as both a visual and symbolic anchor. The piece draws on Plath’s poem of the same name, using the poppy as both a visual and symbolic motif. In her writing, the poppy appears vivid and unexpected, carrying associations of intensity, fragility, and emotional contrast. This tension became central to the work.

Poppies in October (Ode to Sylvia) 
Original sculptural paper-cut cyanotype collage, handmade paper- 2023

Constructed through layered cyanotype and sculptural paper-cut collage, the piece brings together photographic, scientific, and illustrative elements. Each component operates as a fragment of narrative, referencing aspects of Plath’s writing, environment, and symbolic language. The work is not a fixed portrait, but a constructed image built through accumulation and interpretation.

There is also a material parallel between the subject and the process. Cyanotype, with its reliance on light, exposure, and chemical reaction, introduces an element of unpredictability, echoing the emotional intensity and shifting tone found within Plath’s writing. The physical act of constructing the work through hand-cut collage reinforces this, grounding the piece in a tactile, deliberate process that contrasts with the ephemeral nature of the subject matter.

She Carries the Sky situates works like this within a wider conversation. By bringing together artists whose practices are rooted in storytelling, material exploration, and lived experience, the exhibition creates a collective narrative that moves beyond the individual. It becomes a space where voices intersect, where histories are revisited, and where the act of making holds both personal and cultural significance.

In this way, the exhibition is not only about representation, but about presence. Creating spaces where these narratives intersect, reinforcing the importance of making as a way of recognising and expanding the stories of women in contemporary art.

A walk through of She Carries the Sky virtual viewing room:

The exhibition catalogue can be found here:

https://issuu.com/newvisionarymag/docs/she_carries_the_sky?fr=sM2Q4Mjg3NjY2MTk