{"product_id":"women-holding-things-a-visual-celebration-of-womens-lives-and-roles","title":"Women Holding Things: A Visual Celebration of Women's Lives and Roles","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the critically acclaimed artist  designer  and author of the bestsellers The Principles of Uncertainty and My Favorite Things comes a wondrous collection of words and paintings that is a moving art book and meditation on the beauty and complexity of womens lives and roles  revealed in the things they hold. \"What do women hold? The home and the family. And the children and the food. The friendships. The work. The work of the world. And the work of being human. The memories. And the troubles. And the sorrows and the triumphs. And the love.\" In the spring of 2021  Maira and Alex Kalman created a small  limited-edition booklet \"Women Holding Things \" which featured select recent paintings by Maira  accompanied by her insightful and deeply personal commentary. The booklet quickly sold out. Now  the Kalmans have expanded that original publication into this extraordinary visual compendium and coffee table book. Women Holding Things includes the bright  bold images featured in the booklet as well as an additional sixty-seven new paintings highlighted by thoughtful and intimate anecdotes  recollections  and ruminations. Most are portraits of women  both ordinary and famous  including Virginia Woolf  Sally Hemings  Hortense Cezanne  Gertrude Stein  as well as Kalmans family members and other real-life people. These women hold a range of objects  from the mundaneballoons  a cup  a whisk  a chicken  a hatto the abstractdreams and disappointments  sorrow and regret  joy and love. Kalman considers the many things that fit physically and metaphorically between womens hands: We see a woman hold a book  hold shears  hold children  hold a grudge  hold up  hold her own. In visually telling their stories  Kalman lays bare the essence of womens livestheir tenacity  courage  vulnerability  hope  and pain. Ultimately  she reveals that many of the things we hold dearas well as those that burden or haunt usremain constant and connect us from generation to generation. Here  too  are pictures of a few men holding things  such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Anton Chekhov  as well as objects holding other objects that invite us to ponder their intimate relationships to one another. Women Holding Things  a stunning illustrated book  explores the significance of the objects we carryin our hands  hearts  and mindsand speaks to  and for  all of us. Maira Kalmans unique work is a celebration of life  of the act and the art of living  offering an original way of examining and understanding all that is important in our worldand ultimately within ourselves. This beautiful volume explores the profound in the everyday: Artistic Meditation: A moving exploration of womens lives  revealed through the mundane and meaningful things they carry. Illustrated Portraits: Features dozens of new  bright  bold paintings of both ordinary women and famous figures like Virginia Woolf and Gertrude Stein. Insightful Commentary: Each image is accompanied by Kalmans intimate anecdotes and ruminations on memory  joy  sorrow  and love. A Perfect Gift: A thoughtful book for mothers  daughters  sisters  and friends that celebrates the tenacity  courage  and vulnerability that connects generations.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44945369563189,"sku":"ByrdShop_0062846671","price":33.59,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780062846679_236ec60f-3e4d-4437-8fe4-c178250a6251.jpg?v=1770662499","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/women-holding-things-a-visual-celebration-of-womens-lives-and-roles","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}