With my work Anonymous woman, I want to draw attention to the manifestation of women in public space, and their anonymity.

Female statues in Reykjavík, Iceland are often objectifications of women. They usually portray women at work, women with children, or goddesses. While some of the goddesses have names, they are nonetheless symbolic, not representative of any real woman. The fact that most of the statues are of anonymous women is a reminder that gender inequality still persists, reflecting the way that women are not honored for their special contributions to society, nor identified by name.

As a woman I considered the importance of having role models: it can be necessary to reflect oneself in others, to see one ‘s own potential. I embarked on a study in search of answers, thought about the past, and decided to explore the role models that we see all around us in the city. I found out that male statues are in the vast majority, and they are presented in a powerful and dignified way while women are mostly presented naked in a weak posture. It is striking to see how few women sculptures are identified by name in the Reykjavík cityscape. 

Through this work I want to empower the anonymous women from our past by giving them a new reality; for that purpose I borrow from the male statues their clothing and their overweening confidence. At the same time, I recreate my own role models and pose the question: Can women ‘s reality change, with new manifestations and build a new heritage to inspire future generations towards diversity and equality?