Jenny Nijenhuis
Jenny Nijenhuis, BE A MAN
bronze, 52 x 19 x 10 cm (20 3/8 x 7 3/8 x 3 7/8 in.)
"Be a Man represents the man or mouse stereotype and explores the possibility that violence originates in the many messages we are given as children. Roles and expectations pushed onto us over and over again which become limiting rules we’re told we must adhere to as intrinsic to our born identity. Boys are hardwired to understand systems and logic through conditioning, taught to be strong, suppress emotions and learn how to fight for what they want. There is a general disdain for weakness when it comes to being masculine, and so boys are judged on their toughness and told not to be sissies. I wish to point out connections between this imposed behaviour and how violence comes from what boys learn about what it means to be a man, and how this perpetuates stereotypes, gender bias and social conditioning in children." - Artist Statement
Jenny Nijenhuis, FLY BOY
bronze, 49 x 44 x 9 cm (19 1/4 x 17 1/4 x 3 1/2 in.)
"Fly Boy is based on the 1920s aviator archetype or air force pilot. The origins imply that young men have a responsibility to go off to war, to fight for their country, their family, and their children - barely being no longer children themselves. The belief is that women and children come first with the suggestion that boys and men should sacrifice themselves to protect. Boys are encouraged to dream, to have high aspirations, to be strong and to be heroes through fighting and by supressing their emotions. This work is based on photos of my son in my dad’s air force jacket when he was seven years old." - Artist Statement
Jenny Nijenhuis, Like a Girl
bronze, 50 x 21.5 x 14.5 cm (19 5/8 x 8 3/8 x 5 5/8 in.)
"Our current world view relies on the masculine perspective, experience, and overwhelmingly loud masculine universal voice. A voice which tells us that boys and men are more, and that girls and women are less. Hence belittling sayings such as doing things “like a girl”... To me this work represents freedom, and a quiet embodied “I am enough” as a girl. She wears a cape, is powerful within, and is a superhero just for being herself without any doubt or imposed opinion. She is me and she is every girl, and she stands on a suitcase much like the one I had as a little girl of that age. The work is dedicated to the normalisation of gender equality for young children, and challenges gender and social stereotypes." - Artist Statement
Jenny Nijenhuis, This is South Africa
mixed media, 216 x 324 cm (85 x 127 1/2 in.)
"This is South Africa questions the state of our un-healed nation almost 30 years after the end of apartheid. The enormous South African flag hangs upside down as a signal of distress in accordance with international communication protocols. The flag is made from underwear donated by rape survivors towards my SA’s Dirty Laundry* (2016) installation project. This is South Africa is a reflection on the pain and anger informing expressions of masculinity in South Africa with its underbelly of sexual
violence." - Artist Statement
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