As women, images and paintings often tell us how we should look and consequentially influence how we feel. While growing up beneath the mountain Wollumbin, Gleeson was told once by an aunty, an original custodian of the land, that this mountain was really a sleeping warrior, that one day, she would wake up. This story left an impression on her and in pursuit of a progressive feminine image, Gleeson approached women within her friends and family to explore the strength of a ‘sleeping warrior’. As a woman, what does it mean to look strong? What does it mean to feel strong?

Tara, Oil on Linen,122 x 168cm, 2017

Gopa, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 102cm, 2017

Srimati, Oil on Canvas, 70 x 108cm, 2017

Aruna, Oil on Canvas, 100 x 146cm, 2017