Vee Speers Australian, 1962

Vee Speers' work Phoenix is a symbol of the feminine spirit of determination and renewal. In this series about women inspired by the legend of the Phoenix, the flames and ashes disappear – emerging is the emboldening force of liberation. There’s a kinetic, galvanizing energy here as they are on the threshold of new beginnings– elegantly revealing themselves, and sensing their hard-won independence, their mystique. At once powerful and vulnerable, Speers’ portraits are timeless symbols of transformation to the renaissance of a new identity.
This photograph features an open cage resting on a bed of sharp glass shards, surrounded by delicate butterflies in flight. The hazy, smoky backdrop suggests the remnants of a significant change, while the cage itself symbolizes the limitations that have historically been placed on women. With its door ajar and the fragile butterflies dancing around it, the image encourages viewers to contemplate the potential for growth and transformation that emerges when we liberate ourselves from those constraints.
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La série Phoenix incarne l'esprit féminin de détermination et de renouveau. S'inspirant de la légende du phœnix, Vee Speers éclipse flammes et cendres afin de mettre en avant l'émergence d'une force libératrice. Galvanisées par une nouvelle énergie, les femmes de Speers sont à l'aube d'une nouvelle ère. Elles se révèlent élégamment au monde, exprimant leur indépendance durement gagnée et leur mystique renouvelée. À la fois puissants et vulnérables, les portraits de Speers constituent d'intemporels symboles de transformation et de renaissance identitaire.