On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the DISSIDENT club presented Audrey Chambon’s series of paintings called ‘Femme A’. 

“My art is very instinctual to me, it is driven by the questions and struggles I faced as a woman trying to find my own space within society and my own body”, the French visual artist said.

With strong, poignant, yet simplistic lines, the women depicted in Chambon’s paintings present the universal feelings of guilt and frustration, but also the joy of womanhood. “I have been drawing these women for the past 20 years in notebooks. They served as instruments through which I explored myself and my idea of femininity,” she said, gesturing to the large canvases  lining the walls of the bar. 

“I think it is so important that these paintings are exhibited now, because I can see so many other young women go through the same experiences of constant guilt facing the barrage of criticism women always hear. I just want them to know they are not alone.” 

Chambon gave up her long career in tourism and communications to become a full time professional artist in 2022. Though she works primarily with stained glass, for her more instinctual work like Femme A, she chooses to paint on large and cheap paper tablecloths. She plans to stick them on roadside walls around Paris to increase awareness of the continuing inequality of the genders, even in the Western world.

Unveiling her paintings at the DISSIDENT club launch of her exposition, she spoke about how women are realising that the dream of gender equality has not been achieved yet. 

“When I was growing up in Paris there was an idea that after the feminist movements in the 60s and the 70s, we had achieved equality, and there was nothing more to be done. I am so happy that with the #MeToo movement, we have revisited this conversation and an increasing number of young women are speaking up,” she remarked.

Participants at the launch included art curators, artists and friends of the DISSIDENT club. “As someone who has spent many years working with young artists, it is very difficult for emerging artists to find a space that believes in them and wants to display their work,” said Christine Landis, a former art curator who teaches art and culture in Paris and was present on this occasion. “The DISSIDENT club is a very international space where artists can show their work to 

people from around the world,” Landis further added, appreciating the political art project by the bar.
The exhibition Femme A ran at the DISSIDENT club until 20th March 2023. You can find Chambon’s work here.

Report by: Leah Koonthamattam , team < the DISSIDENT club >