Exploring Female Duplicity

We all know that women of the Modern Era are emerging to fill societal positions defying traditional gender roles. Although women have always been complex in nature, today’s culture creates a more enigmatic type of feminism.
On the surface we see someone groomed for a specific role, for example, as a lover, as a worker, as a parent, as a wife. Many women today crave an existence which is free from the impositions of others, especially those of a male dominated society. Yet, beneath the facade, we find multi-faceted beings seeking an understanding and purpose for their very existence. Shea believes the female ego is in constant competition...the battle of the head vs. the heart.

So how does the modern woman balance the power she has earned with the beauty she is given? How does she thrive in a world where she is understood to be limited by society’s imposition of stereotypical feminine roles and prohibited from freely living out her own existence and creating her own essence?

Shea challenges us as we view the work. As we perceive an initial image, we find fragments of additional character, encouraging us to look deeper, searching for meaning in the symbolism nestled within the layers of paint. That is why you will often see two figures emerging from one painting. One to represent the way we are seen and the other to give
insight into how we see ourselves. The portraits that develop attempt to combine the flowing curves and poetic form we have come to know as the female form with the symmetry found in nature. A teetering balance of responsibility and yearning. Captured on canvas, we find strength in bold lines and colors, tact in the subtle nuances displayed and intuition in the rhythms juxtaposing fashion, music, and art.