MAYA EIZIN ÖIJER [solo exhibition] May 7 – June 14, 2009
In her new exhibition at Andréhn-Schiptjenko, Maya Eizin Öijer will show images of kittens. For a long time, she has documented the cats she has owned and a selection from her rich and extensive collection of images make up the exhibition. With these images, she wants to recapture the motif from the realm of stereotype and prejudice. The photos focus on a particular side of the cats’ being, i.e. their exposure, defencelessness and vulnerability.
In some of the motifs, the atmosphere of the Japanese phenomenon Hana-Mi, the time when people gather to celebrate the short flowering of the cherry tree, can be perceived. In a similar way, Maya Eizin Öijer sees the kittens as an expression of the magic of fleeting moments – a bitter sweet feeling. From that perspective, the photos can be looked upon as images of impermanence – a theme of vanitas, which is so frequent in the works of Maya Eizin Öijer. When we look at these pictures, we project our own longing to receive and give affection and love in a world which we feel is increasingly hostile and unsafe. The images are a defense speech for the forces within us that act for solidarity and survival.
Andréhn -Schiptjenko