Meghan Borah: Ladylike

In Gallery I, Goldfinch proudly presents Meghan Borah: Ladylike, a solo exhibition of new paintings, ceramics, and works on paper from Chicago-based artist Meghan Borah. Ladylike marks Borah’s third solo exhibition at Goldfinch.

In Ladylike, Meghan Borah explores self, authenticity, and performance through fresh eyes. While the work treads familiar thematic ground for Borah, her new perspective broadens the scope of symbolism in this body of work, particularly as it pertains to parenting young children (Borah is the mother of two toddlers, with a third child due a few days before this exhibition will open).  Fountains, which Borah renders through the mediums of paint and also ceramic, become a metaphor for the demands of motherhood: “The fountain imagery of works like “Lady Fountain” nods to themes of fertility and the all-giving mother,” says Borah, who confesses she sometimes feels that her body is no longer hers“ and instead (is) spilling out both literally and metaphorically for everybody but myself.” Elsewhere, Borah’s ceramic pieces transform women into literal vessels ready for filling and emptying, while her paintings turn their bodies into vases holding bouquets. 

Flush with flowers, fountains, and naked women carousing or doing the splits, Borah’s dreamlike work may appear, at first glance, as a male fantasy. Look closer, though, and you’ll see ambiguous, almost deadened expressions flickering across the women’s faces. They appear aloof, “almost impatient,” suggesting these women regularly negotiate between their public, outward-facing personas and private, inner longings. “Although my ‘ladies’ might be feminine-presenting, in the end, they are whoever they want to be or whoever the viewer wants them to be,” says Borah. “I like the idea of the viewer deciding whether [these women] are taking pleasure or discomfort in the scenes portrayed.”

Meghan Borah: Ladylike is on view September 15  through October 26th, 2024. The exhibition’s opening reception takes place on Sunday, September 15 from 2-5pm. 

All events are free and open to the public.

Artist's Bio
Meghan Borah is a painter and educator based in Chicago. Borah received an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Painting and Drawing department in 2017. She is currently represented by Goldfinch Gallery (Chicago) and Galleri Urbane (Dallas). Her work has been featured in Patron Magazine, Chicago Magazine, Time Out Chicago, New American Paintings, and ArtSlant. She has been the recipient of numerous artist residency programs, including the Vermont Student Center in 2018, and is the current Artist in Residence at Esmé (Chicago). 

Image credit: Meghan Borah, Untitled (Girl holding dark pink flowers), 2024, oil on yupo paper, 26 x 20 inches (unframed dimensions).