Emma Xhaxho's work begins with family. Raised by a single mother in a household of daughters, she carries that time into every corner of her work. Xhaxho questions the ideas we hold around sex and consumption, and speaks instead of solidarity among women and the strength to protect oneself. In her world, intimacy is not always gentle. She faces the contradiction that getting close can sometimes wound.
Her pieces span a range of materials. Soft fabric and thread, rigid wire and cord, and at times fragments of mannequin bodies. A loaf of bread bound tightly in rope reads as a body in itself. Sweet imagery like cupcakes and ice cream appear studded with pins. Xhaxho twists everyday objects to reveal the point where pain and pleasure coexist.
The female body in her work is always half-shown. Faces are covered, torsos isolated, or only legs remain. By refusing to reveal the whole, Xhaxho grants anonymity. Yet these fragments carry a more intense affect. Viewers fill in the missing parts themselves and step inside the work.
Her works hold humor and seriousness in equal measure, much like the moments in life that matter most. They draw viewers in and touch the ache that lives inside each of our bodies. Then they ask: can you look that pain straight in the eye?
Her solo exhibition Close to Pleasure is now on view at Art City in Chicago through October 3. The show presents the complex texture of tension and solidarity that intimacy brings. How far can your intimacy endure the wound?
Her pieces span a range of materials. Soft fabric and thread, rigid wire and cord, and at times fragments of mannequin bodies. A loaf of bread bound tightly in rope reads as a body in itself. Sweet imagery like cupcakes and ice cream appear studded with pins. Xhaxho twists everyday objects to reveal the point where pain and pleasure coexist.
The female body in her work is always half-shown. Faces are covered, torsos isolated, or only legs remain. By refusing to reveal the whole, Xhaxho grants anonymity. Yet these fragments carry a more intense affect. Viewers fill in the missing parts themselves and step inside the work.
Her works hold humor and seriousness in equal measure, much like the moments in life that matter most. They draw viewers in and touch the ache that lives inside each of our bodies. Then they ask: can you look that pain straight in the eye?
Her solo exhibition Close to Pleasure is now on view at Art City in Chicago through October 3. The show presents the complex texture of tension and solidarity that intimacy brings. How far can your intimacy endure the wound?
FAQ
How long is Emma Jajó's solo exhibition Close to Pleasure running?
Emma Jajó's solo exhibition Close to Pleasure is on view at Art City in Chicago through October 3. The show explores the complex textures of tension and solidarity that intimacy brings.
What materials does Emma Jajó use in her work?
Emma Jajó uses diverse materials including fabric, thread, wire, string, and parts of doll bodies. She twists everyday objects like rope-bound loaves of bread and pin-pierced cupcakes and ice cream to reveal where pain and pleasure coexist.
What does Emma Jajó address in her work?
Emma Jajó addresses questions around sex and consumption, solidarity between women, and the power to protect oneself. Drawing from growing up with sisters under a single mother, she confronts the paradox that intimacy can wound.
