Wendee Yudis is a Serigraph Mixed Media Artist whose paintings and prints have been exhibited in solo and group shows in galleries in NYC, Chicago, and Philadelphia since the mid-1990’s. Solo exhibitions include Ceres Gallery in NYC, Black Moth Gallery in Phila, and Gallery 1633 in Chicago. A selection of group exhibitions include The Albright/Knox Museum in NY, Manhattan Graphics Center in NYC, Philadelphia Art Alliance in PA, James Oliver Gallery in Phila, PA, University of Pennsylvania in PA, CFEVA in PA, InLiquid in PA, DaVinci Art Alliance in PA, and The Trenton Museum in NJ. Select work was in a national juried competition in the Pheonix Gallery in NYC by Thelma Golden, then curator of The Whitney Museum of American Art. Her work is also a part of many private collections in the US. Affiliations include Fleisher Art Memorial, InLiquid, CFEVA, and Women’s Caucus for the Arts.
Wendee received an MFA in Printmaking and Painting from Pratt Institute and BFA in Printmaking and Photography from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also studied archaeology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and photography at Richmond College in London.
In addition to being a visual artist, Wendee works as a Graphic Designer and Art Director. Since the mid 1990's she has worked in agencies and non-profits in NYC and Philadelphia.
Artist Statement
My art turns the definition of femininity on its head.
It examines and questions women’s roles in the world as dictated by social constructs: the ones imposed upon us – obedient child, wife, and daughter – and the ones we step into voluntarily – boss, lover, and vixen.
I use humor to explore the depths of these ideas. Womanhood cannot and should not be confined to one definition. Why do we have to be vixens or victims? Can we be both? My work explores the paradox of the powerful vs. the powerless in a manner that is both playful and sexual. The women in my work become icons who reoccur in different contexts and combinations. In this way my work is layered with meaning. I look at the words we use to define masculinity and femininity and play with typography and context. For example, why is a bossy man synonymous with executive leadership while a bossy woman is a bitch? My bold and graphic treatment of words amplifies my ideas and by questioning the many facets of women, I embrace the freedom and power within every woman.
My primary medium is a combination of photo-silkscreen and painting. Silkscreen allows me to juxtapose and overlap a variety of images to create nuance and explore new definitions of old ideas. I use the actual silkscreen as if it’s a paint brush, so each piece is an original. The beauty of the silkscreen process is that it allows me to experiment with translucency, opacity, layering and pattern to explore relationships seen and unseen.
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