The Plait (2021) Kalliopi Lemos
The Plait is a 2020 steel sculpture by sculptor Kalliopi Lemos, known for her large-scale public installations. The upright plait of dark brown hair has a length of 6,5 meters. The Plait is part of her recent sculpture series Tools of Endearment and is about the role of femininity in modern society. The cutting of the hair braid alludes to a gesture of disobedience, a radically personal gesture against (patriarchal) coercion. But also cutting off old ideas, from change, as an act of liberation and coming of age. In 2020 The Plait purchased by the Droom en Daad foundation and donated to the municipality of Rotterdam. The work was added to the sculpture terrace on Westersingel and unveiled on March 8, 2021. For more information: Sculpture International Rotterdam.
Kalliopi Lemos (1951) was born in Greece and lives and works in London. She is a sculptor, installation artist and painter. Lemos studied at Byam Shaw School of Art, University of the Arts London and Central Saint Martins. She is known for her large-scale public installations, with which she draws attention to the increasing worldwide migration and oppression of women. Lemos has exhibited at various international locations. Her work can be found in private collections and in various museums in New York, London, Athens, Crete, Istanbul and Canakkale, among others. Kalliopi Lemos in a recent interview: `` I was saddened to learn that Ruth Bader Ginsburg (March 15, 1933 - September 18, 2020), judge of the US Supreme Court and guardian angel of human and women's rights, has passed away. 'Real change happens one thing at a time - enduring change happens one step at a timeshe said. The Plait could serve as a memorial to her qualities, her philosophy and the principles that guided her life - as a compass for humanity. She embodies everything that inspires me. Through her strength, she has shown women that their goals in life can be achieved. The Plait is a feminine sensual symbol made of hundreds of entwined thin rods that ascend ambitiously to heaven as if just standing upright expresses its own declaration of self-worth and defiance. The Plait with its formidable size, expresses these thoughts. '