Women | JR

28 Millimètres, Women Are Heroes, Collage dansles rues de Monrovia, in the street of Monrovia,Liberia, 2008color print, mounted on dibond, mat plexiglas, flushed wooden black frame49-3/16" × 87-3/8" × 2-3/4" (124.9 cm × 221.9 cm× 7 cm) Edition of 3 + 2APsNo. 77277.02. © JR

In 2008, JR began his journey from Sierra Leone, before finding himself in Liberia, Kenya, Cambodia, India, Brazil and France. While traveling through some of these countries, he discovered how women are affected most by wars, brutality, and religious or political extremism. Throughout his travels, he captured photographs of the native women hence presenting JR: Women, a suite of artworks from his Women are Heroes project. This exhibition was at display from 25th May 2023 until 18th July 2023 at Pace Gallery, Geneva. This was the French artist’s first exhibition in Switzerland since 2008 and was followed by the release of his new book Artist Until I Find a Real Job in April 2023. 

28 Millimètres, WomenAre Heroes, Action in Phnom Penh, Umbrellas,Phnom Penh, Cambodge, 2009 color print, mounted on dibond, mat plexiglass, flushed wooden black frame49-3/16" × 73-13/16" × 2-3/4" (124.9 cm × 187.5 cm×7 cm), overall Edition of 3 + 2 APsNo. 80765.0. © JR

The artist believes in demolishing the boundaries between quotidian life and art galleries in order to make it more accessible to the general public. Heis renowned for his outdoor large-scale photographic installations, which he calls, ‘infiltrating art’. In Sierra Leone (2008), JR displayed a large-scale photograph of a woman to promote hope and resistance. Our subject can be seen smiling while her head rests on her hands. The display was staged during the recovery period following a grueling civil war.. His artistry skillfully captures the energy and vibrancy of the subject despite the political discrepancies. A photograph of the installation was displayed at Pace Gallery as a part of the exhibition. Photographs of other women were displayed on the side of trucks, buildings, and other structures. One of the images taken in Kenya in 2009, displays a train covered with a black and white photo taken by the artist contrasted with nature in the background. The artist delicately spotlights feminine energy in a peaceful background. 

28 Millimètres, Women Are Heroes, Action dansla Favela Morro da Providência, Escalier, close-up, Rio de Janeiro, Brésil, 2008 color print, mounted on dibond, mat plexiglas, flushed wooden black frame74" × 49" × 3" (188 cm ×124.5 cm × 7.6 cm), image, mount, frameEdition of 3 + 2 APs No. 84260.AP1. © JR

He proceeded to display portraits of women outdoors highlighting their stories in Brazil (2008) and France (2010) to the public. In Brazil, he portrayed a black and white image of a woman on a stairway in the favela of Morro da Providência, the first favela community in the

country. The image was to be viewed from street level. He aimed at connecting the vigorous strengths of these women and their respective communities. A photograph of the same in which the installation is surrounded by people is on display at the gallery amongst others. All the participants of his project were gifted with a book that featured them. 

28 Millimètres, Women are Heroes, Action in Kibera Slum, «In theForest », Kenya, 2009color print, mounted on dibond, matte plexiglas, flushed black koto frame49" × 74" × 3" (124.5 cm ×188 cm × 7.6 cm)Edition of 3 + 2 APsNo. 87412.01. © JR

Amongst the pieces on display, there is a photograph from 2009 taken in Cambodia. The image is taken in a street marketplace setting where the vendors in the background can be seen selling fruits and vegetables and our subjects are the three women wearing orange clothes and carrying umbrellas. While the umbrellas in the background are colorful, the umbrellas these three women are carrying are printed with black and white images of women previously photographed by JR. The action being performed here represents solidarity amongst women that have dealt with the hardships of the unstable society and the artist gracefully and shrewdly captures that. 

28 Millimètres, Womenare Heroes, Action in Phnom Penh, Open Eyes,On Wood, Cambodge, 2009 ink on wood, black woodframe 41" × 41" × 3" (104.1 cm ×104.1 cm × 7.6 cm), each No. 87414. © JR

Born in 1983 in Paris, JR is dedicated to promoting women and highlighting their hard work, courage and significant role in the society. He celebrates their heroism by creating art using his lens and invites the audience to acknowledge the bond these women share with one another amid a sexist world. Some of his work has been displayed worldwide including Parisien streets, favelas of Brazil and the border between the United States and Mexico and many renowned galleries including Centre Pompidou, France; Louvre, France; Brooklyn Museum, USA; SFMOMA, USA amongst others. JR worked with the TIME magazine in 2022 to showcase his solidarity in the resilience of Ukraine.