Kolaj residency: The Awakening
In the fall of 2022 I was part of an international group of artists who made work for a new, collage-illustrated edition of Kate Chopin’s 1899 novel The Awakening under the art direction of Nancy Bernardo and Christopher Kurts. Together we analyzed the story, discussed themes, uncovered symbols, and asked questions to visually interpret this seminal feminist text for a 21st century audience. The edition was published in 2023 through the Kolaj Institute and Kasini House.
Set in New Orleans, The Awakening focuses on Edna Pontellier, an upper-class New Orleans woman, torn between expectations and desires. In the beginning of the novel Edna appears to live in a semi-conscious state, trapped in the mundane aspects of her life. As the story evolves, she encounters new people and experiences that create an awakening shift within her. Edna begins to view her world differently, and through this lens new relationships emerge while others become strained. In the end, Edna realizes that even if she has her own desires she is still trapped by her societal role.
The themes the story raises are still relevant today, such as: What does it mean to be a woman? What are the expectations that society puts upon women? What does patriarchy look like today? Are we bound to what we are born into? What does it mean to transform?
I contributed five collages, two of which were based on Tarot cards, the iconography of which is subtly referenced in the text.
Copies of the illustrated book can be purchased here. For more information on the process, watch this recording of the book launch and artist talk.
