DINORÁ JUSTICE: THE LAY OF THE LAND

 November 18, 2023–April 14, 2024

razilian American artist Dinorá Justice (b. 1969) uses a distinct visual vocabulary to examine intertwined histories of gender, landscape, and visual culture. In her paintings, feminine figures, lush natural environments, and rich marbled patterns subtly reframe art historical “masterpieces” with care and attention, recognizing their merits and, at the same time, rejecting their tendency to cast feminine figures as symbols of colonized territory for the male eye. Her sculptures riff on ancient figurines that once celebrated cycles of life.

In her painting Portrait 51, after Delacroix’s “Women of Algiers” (2021), the artist unifies anonymous female subjects by placing them in interdependent dialogue with their outdoor setting. Linking women figures directly to the natural world is a common theme throughout Justice’s work. While this connection is often idealized and romanticized in art historical contexts, the reality is grimmer—violence against women and the environment is rampant. Luring viewers with vibrancy, Justice’s works awaken attention and shift perspectives not just on art history, but on how we care for one another and the world around us.

This exhibition is generously supported by the Tufts University Art Galleries at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA) and is part of the SMFA’s 2023 Traveling Fellow exhibition program, presented in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/dinora-justice-the-lay-of-the-land