Artwork Description
Jennifer Nehrbass – Sofia and Three Spirits
Dimensions: 60 x 48″
Year: 2024
Medium: oil on wood
This is part of my “Womenfest Destiny” series. This work depicts a woman bathing in the river with is a reference of babtismal and rebirth .This also references the migrants who have to cross the impediment of water to come to a promised land. The three spirits are the traditions, memories and ancestors that are traveling with Sofia. The act of braiding or brushing the hair is an homage to the itimacy of having one’s hair done and the sisterhood of personal care.
Presented within many historical narratives are portraits of protagonists. Here females are portrayed as the explorers and the documentarians. They are of different ethnicities, a mix of different times and influences. The women are indicative of the cross-pollination of appropriated cultures and spiritualism. They represent the bravery of all who venture into the unknown to create a better life. We are all pioneers.