to reflect women’s attempt to break away
from imposed societal moulds to express her
individual identity.
“In most regions of the world, women
have no rights, or even a chance for selfdetermination,” Richter explained. “It is
important that there is continuous awareness
of that fact.”
Another aspect of Richter’s work focuses
on the psychological exploration of one’s
childhood. Alice Miller, a psychologist
whose work explored the link between
childhood trauma and mental illness,
served as a significant inspiration for Richter.
Miller emphasized the need for adults to
acknowledge the truths of their childhood
in order to resolve their internal struggles, as
opposed to displacing events and memories.
For Richter, facing your “inner demons” is “the
prerequisite for a positive and contented life.”
As such, Richter’s work serves as a portal
into the viewer’s inner-workings, enabling
access to their childhood experience and,
as a result, an understanding of themselves.
In “Scream”, a small child wails in seeming
frustration at the edge of the canvas against
a cracked wall, an ambiguous adult arm
emerging from the opposite corner as if to
grab or guide the child.
Looking at “Revelation”, a little girl stands
against a stone mural of women, a subtle
furrow on her brow as if to convey her
growing sense of understanding, mired with
confusion, over the role she will eventually
grow into as a woman.
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