Exhibition Preview丨Herstory：As She Shows It

Who is she? A daughter, a mother, a scholar, a laborer; a silent figure in history, and a creator of the future.
She was once a faint footnote at the margins of history books, a blurred surname in stories, a whisper unheard through long stretches of time. Today, her stories are breaking free from the edges, moving towards the center of the narrative. On every page of free writing, those once silent are finding their voice; those once disciplined are breaking their cocoons.
This March, let's step into her stories together, listen to her voice, and write her future.

Event Information
Event Date: March 6, 2026 – March 20, 2026
Event Location: Wenzhou-Kean University Library, SLAC 3rd Floor Atrium

Part1.Book Dialogues
See yourself reflected in words, meet others in stories.
Opening a book is not about finding definitions, but about discovering possibilities.

Witnessing Her Existence: Body and Being
The oracle bone script character for "woman" (女) depicts a person kneeling with hands crossed in front of the chest. That is the millennia-old discipline of patriarchal norms on the female body: stillness, restraint, concealment. When women refuse to be tamed, the body is no longer defined.

Tracing Her Origins: Mother-Daughter Intergenerational Dialogue
"Mother" (母), is the character "woman" (女) with two dots carved at the chest, representing the anchor point of nurturing, the bond of intimacy. Becoming a mother is an ancient gift of life, yet also the most profound shackle of responsibility. Every mother was once a daughter, but standing on opposite banks of time's river, the once closely symbiotic bodies gradually grow independent souls.

Contemplating Her Place: On Family and Society 
The traditional Chinese character for "married woman/wife" (婦) is composed of "woman" (女) and "broom" (帚). Shuowen Jiezi explains it as: "to serve, from a woman holding a broom, sweeping." One character solidified a long history: a woman's value was once confined to domestic labor and a subservient role. Today, "woman" is one who can move mountains—they are no longer confined to four walls; their lives are more than just wilderness.

Writing Her Future: Breaking Boundaries and Embracing Strength
"女" (woman) is a character, a component, a radical. There was a time when women were expected to be "安" (at peace) indoors, finding tranquility within. But as times have changed, women now excel at the "案" (desk) and "赢" (triumph) in learning. No longer confined by a complete definition, she becomes the starting point of creation. "始 (beginning), 好 (good), 姓 (surname), 如 (like)..." When "女" combines with other radicals, meaning branches out like leaves and vines. Once she takes that step forward, she embraces limitless possibilities.

Part2.Audio-Visual Perspectives
Her stories flow not only between book pages but also in light, shadow, and sound waves. A gentle scan continues the narrative.

Film & Podcast list
Seeing Her Existence: Body and Being
1.Happening
2.The Substance
3.Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
4.Period. End of Sentence.
5.Flowers in the Rock S4E9 Lu Yu in Conversation with Zhang Yu | The Body's User Manual Shouldn't Be Known Only by Doctors

Reviewing Her Origins: Mother-Daughter Intergenerational Dialogue
1.The Falls
2.Herstory
3.Lady Bird
4.Everything Everywhere All at Once
5.Random Waves "Dear Love, Actually" The Long Road from Daughter to Mother
Contemplating Her Place: Family and Society

Contemplating Her Place: On Family and Society 
1.Decision to Leave
2.Thelma & Louise
3.Kim Ji-young, Born 1982
4.Little Women
5.Untimely The Many Possibilities When Marriage and Childbearing are Separate

Writing Her Future: Breaking Boundaries and Embracing Strength
1.There's Still Tomorrow
2.Prima Facie
3.Hidden Figures
4.Desert Flower
5.Suffragette

Part3.The Power of the Portraits
Behind every face is a brilliant life. They are signposts, and they are mirrors. With every pause, you can encounter another possibility.

Part4. "Play with Yarn"
Use yarn to weave your multifaceted impressions of "woman" into a web. See the rich possibilities of female identity in the act of winding and creating.

How to Participate:
1.For the three terms "Mother," "Woman," "Daughter," choose some keywords that match your impression.
2.Take a strand of colored yarn and wrap it around the push pin below your chosen keywords to secure it, forming a connection of impressions.
3.If the preset keywords don’t fully express your thoughts, use a colored whiteboard marker to write your own word on a blank label,  and then wrap yarn to create your unique impression.

Our Gentle Agreement:
1.Please wrap gently — each crossing is an encounter of understanding.
2.Express yourself thoughtfully, so the beauty remains present.

A book may close, an exhibition may end, but stories are never finished being written.
The narrative of women continues to expand -- and you, too, are part of this story.
Herstory is also my story.
May these stories about "her" become a gentle measure through which you approach yourself and understand others.

Finally, here, we wish all women a happy International Women's Day! 

Content & Layout | LI Sirui

Review | GU Mengmeng & HU Linxiao