Melaina Thompson: Woman as Animal — Welcome to the Jungle

Exhibition Abstract

Woman as Animal: Welcome to the Jungle is a series of works exploring themes of autonomy, power imbalance, and the female figure's relationship to nature. Taking inspiration from Riot Grrrl feminism, the work imagines a fantasy world where women's bodies are a sight for reverence by depicting their animalistic reclamation of power. Using the framework of the wilderness, these characters embody the ferocity, beastliness, and wildness often denied to women.

Print media, often denigrated to the bottom of the fine arts world because of its ability to be easily reproduced and distributed, asks viewers to reconsider the methods of making that our society privileges. The pieces are made using handmade paper, sculpture, intaglio, lithograph, and risograph prints. These works confront and implicate the viewer as a passive agent, an adversary, and invites them to come along.

Exhibitor Biography

Melaina Thompson's (B.F.A. '26) work is imaginative, inspired by illustration, craft, and everyday art objects. Working primarily in printmaking, her practice explores the intersection of personal identity, experience, and social injustice. In addition to being an artist, Thompson is a writer, which informs her practice as a means of storytelling.