Ursula Gallenkamp and Dorothea Heger "I am who I am"

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Curated by:

rootless

Ursula Gallenkamp

Performing artist -
watercolor, oil, graphic, sculpture, object, photography, layout, performance
I was born in Germany.
I got my master degrees of art and education, studied at the University of Bremen, Germany.
For fortyfive years I worked with mentally handycapped, physical disabled and mentally disorderd clients and students. Over twenty years I served as
director of school for special needs.
More than forty years I‘m working in art, using oil, watercolor, colorpencil, graphic, print, clay, object, digitalart, photo, layout and performance.
In my artwork my special desire is to bring back the spirit of ancient female wisdom .
I also like to reflect mother nature, i.e. flowers, leaves, trees, landscapes, folks, women. My latest interest is the process of female aging in contrast to the mainstream
aesthetic of youth and beauty.
My work has been shown in art-galleries, in national and international exhibitions, as well as in one-woman shows in Germany and group-shows in the United States.

I AM WHAT I AM
I am what I am today, a collage of mixed media because of the choices
I have made in the past.
In this painting, I tried to tell the story of my life as it parallels the past with the present. Follow my story clockwise. The first layer tells a lot about who I was and the world in which I was living.
In the original painting, there is a an image of Germany. In 1950, many refugees from East Germany swept into West Germany. Their
vulnerability makes me think of my son when he was a baby.
I show that with the image of his baby shoe in the painting. In 2015 many refugees again swept into Germany. Only this time the tragedy of so many desperate people became so graphic through mass media.
The image that has been engraved in my psyche is the little boy washed up on shore without his shoes. You must know it because the video went viral for many days. There was much talk, indignation, and
pointing fingers, yet many other children continued to die.
Continue following the painting. I was an abused little girl. You will see my three uncles, one of whom abused me. You will see my hair depicted with dead leaves, the part of me that couldn‘t grow up. However, I did not continue to die. There was a part of me that was determined to thrive.
I show that by leaves that are spreading out reflecting my hope which continues. Today, I am a multifaceted woman, like famous ladies on stamps: glorious, thoughtful, powerful, proud, successful, independent, and confident. The top canvas reflects my life in the United States where I have connected with many artists. I am involved with eight artists from different parts of
the world including California and Chicago. I chose as our symbol eight pieces of Eucalyptus bark held together with a golden ribbon
representing the power of art.

www.artbyrsula.de
contact@artbyursula.de



Dorothea Heger

www.dorothea-art.com
info@dorothea-art.com

Other exhibitions by rootless

rootless

rootless -- international women artist group presents: Renate Wetzstein - "I am who I am"--

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rootless

rootless -- international women artist group presents: Mariana Peirano -- "I am who I am"--

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rootless

Phyllis Doyon and Anu Subramanian -- "I am who I am"--

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rootless

rootless international women artist group virtual show "I am who I am" .

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