The sweet and solitary taste of dew

Patricia Pettitt

20 sep – 03 nov 2024
Museu D. Diogo de Sousa

  • Exhibitions
  • Opening Weekend
  • Discovery 2024
  • Braga

Curator: Vítor Nieves

The sweet and solitary taste of dew

Inspired by Charlotte Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892), this series portrays the fate of a woman who doesn’t live up to society’s expectations of her role as a woman, wife and mother. What begins as an attempt at peace and tranquillity soon turns into a nightmare of illusion and restlessness.

The protagonist finds herself confined and, in her attempt to deal with her isolation, regain her autonomy and assert her identity, we follow her journey as her mind becomes increasingly chaotic.

This woman is anonymous, almost invisible, constantly looking for any possibility of escape and always in an uncomfortable duality between trying to escape and feeling defeated.

The atmosphere of this series is similar to that of a gilded cage, beautiful but progressively dominated by panic, and also serves as a metaphor for modern society which prides itself on calling itself liberal and inclusive, but which in reality continues to condition and criticise the behaviour, desires and aspirations of many women, leaving them powerless to fight for themselves and their happiness.

The series tackles themes such as freedom and confinement, mental health, gender and social structures. The choice of Gilman’s short story as inspiration for this series provided me with a creative space that allowed me to identify and question the standards set for women in 19th century society and which still have repercussions in various spheres of the 21st century.

“The Sweet and Lonely Taste of Dew”/“O gosto doce e solitário do Orvalho” is a tribute to the resilience and determination of women.

Museu D. Diogo de Sousa
R. dos Bombeiros Voluntários s/n, 4700-025 Braga

Opening Hours:

Tuesday – Sunday
10:00–17:30

Monday
Closed