All Eyes On: Lena Snow

Lena Snow

Lena was born in Schwetzingen, Germany (29.09.1989) and started to create art when she was a teenager and had her first exhibition at the age of sixteen. Besides producing several series over the years, Lena earned a master’s degree at the University of Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Due to some stressful years, she had almost given up on art. However, in March 2020 when the Corona Crisis struck the world, she could focus more on herself and started to paint again. Since then, she has devoted her life fully to art. Creativity helped her to survive, especially as an adolescent. Yet, it was equally the process of emancipation and self-reliance that contributed to an elevation of her creativity.

German artist and painter smiling in the camera in her studio

Beautiful colourful portrait of a young woman — *Neptun’s Maid,* Acrylic on paper, 31 x 24 cm

“Neptune’s Maid” has been inspired by the series “The Handmaid’s Tale” and especially the main character June. She is a strong woman, trapped in a harsh patriarchal and dystopian future scenario. The bonnet she (and other women) are wearing left such and impression that the woman in my painting also wears one. The bonnet (as in the series) represents suppression: a woman should be chaste, her hair should be covered, even her face, she must not be sexual in any way. Till today, these inflicted requirements are still valid and realized in order to control women. My maid stands for all these women. As in the series, June stands for many. However, my female figure is looking up, showing her face and even her fringe is looking out. I painted this artwork to look like a political poster for empowerment and the longing for freedom. “Neptune’s Maid” is meant universal and applicable to all that should rise from suppression.

Beautiful colourful portrait of a young woman with yellow background and pink hair

“I am from Mars” is made with acrylic on paper. My artwork was visually inspired by Pop art artworks. The title suggests that the female in the center is an alien, but her shape is very human-like. Certainly, everyone has heard about the saying: Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. There is the famous book by John Gray from 1992 – with the same title – that is explaining the differences between men and women. While many of us (including me) certainly agree on certain differences, I still feel that a binary analysis of gender is always problematic. Nowadays we have more diverse terms like transgender, non-binary identifying and others. The question arises, why we have to identify at all. “I am from Mars” wants to show an alien-like female figure that is still perceived as a female entity but is from Mars (because in the saying only men are from Mars). She is a very untypical creature, but still interesting, sexy, self-confident. By acknowledging that she is from somewhere else – not even from earth – she is telling us that we have to face something completely alien – although her shape is familiar to us. This notion is what we should keep in mind when meeting new people in general. They seem familiar since we are used to the human shape, but actually they are alien and can’t be put in box of binary definitions.

erotic and sexy art as a painting that reflect female power and sexuality — *I am from Mars,* 2021
Acrylic on paper, 44 x 33 x 2 cm

erotic and sexy art as a painting that reflect female power and sexuality by a woman artist

portrait of a woman sitting on stairs in shades of blue and purple — *I am from Neptune,* 2021
Acrylic on paper, 31 x 24 cm

“I am from Neptune” has been inspired by the character Betty from the famous TV series Mad Men. I wanted to give the alien women a possibly “bored housewife-touch”, but the viewer can also see other possible scenes and associate other situations with that woman. Equally to Betty, the woman is pretty, dressed tidily, has a soft, feminine appearance underlined by the rose dress and her tender posture. But all that is rather the surface and does not mean that she is happy, let alone wants to be in this cliché role. She is bored, sitting on the staircase, waiting for something or maybe someone. In Mad Men Betty also represents these feelings but is unable to openly talk about her frustration and wishes, also because it was not regarded acceptable at this time. What seems to be a problem of then, is still a problem of today. Women being forced by society, expectations, and family pressure to fulfill a certain role, but not talk about their dissatisfaction. “I am from Neptune” wants to say that it should be possible to openly speak about who you are, about your problems, your individuality and not hide from yourself. In society there are still too many taboo subjects and otherness is regarded as failure and inacceptable. But that is slowing some of us who might be very special down and is holding us back. It even changes your character that much that you don’t know yourself anymore – just like a housewife that thinks she has to wait forever on a staircase.

“Rainbow Girl” is a symbol for diversity and the embracement of all colors. The rainbow is a natural flag from the sky with each color conveying its own meaning: hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. A rainbow in itself symbolizes success, hope and fortune to many of us. As you gaze upon the vibrant rainbow colors, you may feel happiness and a sense of excitement and wonderment. Rainbow Girl represents beauty in diversity and emphasizes that we can wear those colors with pride!

girl painted with rainbow colours and stripes by female artist — *Rainbow Girl,* 2021
Acrylic on paper, 31 x 24 cm

Lena Snow has had several international exhibitions as in Zurich, Milan, London, Tallin or Atlanta and has been participating in art fairs as the Scope Miami or the Art Expo New York. She was nominated by the Global Art Awards and published in several international art and lifestyle magazines. Last year she has been chosen for the Contemporary Artbook of Excellence and one of the most investable artists in 2021. In December she was awarded with the Art Olympic Price in Rome, Italy and chosen as one of the top 60 ATIM masters in New York. Lena is also supporting women in the arts with her Goddessarts Project and is involved in female education and emancipation programs and active in women’s rights organizations.

Her “planetary series” shows alien women in an expressive and colorful style. Each artwork is devoted to a certain planet or simply takes place in a foreign environment. The women in those paintings sometimes simply say from where they are, thereby acknowledging that they are different. Sometimes an ordinary scene just is taking place in a different environment aiming to show an alternate, familiar-unfamiliar reality. Although this series has been deeply inspired by the possibility of alien life and by Lena’s fascination with space, its deeper meaning is to address the topic of otherness and female identity.