A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes : an exhibition exploring new femininity and story telling in boundary-pushing fashion

A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes investigates symbols of womanhood and challenges conventional notions of beauty with experimental gowns, headpieces, and jewelry by boundary-pushing fashion designers and artists including Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Chromat, Studio Roosegaarde, Gypsy Sport, Maïmouna Guerresi, and Iris van Herpen. The exhibition features more than 100 articles of fashion, photography, and videos presented in a dramatic gallery design that explores seven archetypal personality types, including Mother Earth, Sage, Enchantress, Explorer, Heroine, Magician, and Thespian.

Derived from recurring motifs in myths and fairy tales of world literature, these archetypes are used to help unpack our understanding of the visual symbolism of female identity.“Fashion is art in motion that speaks to all generations and cultures,” Fresno Art Museum Executive Director Michele Ellis Pracy says. “A Queen Within is the type of high-impact, high-end exhibition that Fresno deserves.”

In a moment of critical reevaluation of women’s roles in culture, business, and society at large, A Queen Withinpresents a progressive, global exploration of female archetypes as seen through the eyes of an international cast of influential fashion and visual arts practitioners including 69, Adidas, Anrealage, Ashish, Jordan Askill, AVAVAV, Sandra Backlund, Bourgeois Boheme, Arvida Byström and Maja Malou Lyse, June Canedo de Souza, Carcel, Chanel, Chromat, Commes des Garçons, Cooper & Gorfer, CuteCircuit, Omar Victor Diop, Michael Drummond, Jalila Essaïdi,Fantich & Young, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gianfranco Ferré, Selam Fessahaye, Serena Gili, Gloverall,Molly Goddard, Gucci, Maïmouna Guerresi, Maja Gunn, Keta Gutmane, Gypsy Sport, HassanHajjaj, Hanifa, Herdentier, Tommy Hilfiger, Pam Hogg, Kids of the Diaspora, David LaChapelle,Laurence & Chico, Shaun Leane, Geoffrey Lillemon, Louise Linderoth, Living Colour for PUMA,Chan Luu, Maison Margiela, Ryan McDaniels, Alexander McQueen, Neil Mendoza, Rich Mnisi,Pyer Moss, Muskin, Namilia, Orange Fiber, Tabitha Osler, Minna Palmqvist, Antoine Peters, JoannePetit-Frère, Prada, Michele Pred, Random Studio, Reformation, Daan Roosegaarde, Diana Scherer,Hideki Seo, Slow Factory, Studio Swine, Bea Szenfeld, Maiko Takeda, this is Sweden, TributeBrand, Iris van Herpen, Vaquera, Waste2Wear, Vivienne Westwood, Bernhard Willhelm, BethanyWilliams, Aoi Yamada, Ryan Mario Yasin, and YVMIN.

This traveling exhibition is curated by MUSEEA a multidisciplinary design and curatorial platform based in London/Stockholm/Barcelona. And The Queen Within was created by Barrett Barrera Projects who are the originators of a new model, in which museum touring exhibitions, multiple gallery spaces, private client sales, art-centered event production, and consultancy services are offered from a single organization. The company manages the world’s largest private collection of Alexander McQueen’s work, a large portion of which is featured in the exhibition, alongside an equally expansive representation of significant contemporary designers and artists.

The Fresno Art Museum
and Barrett Barrera Projects
A QUEEN WITHIN 
July 30, 2022 to January 8, 2023