She Carries the World on Her Shoulders by Robin Hextrum

2021

18” x 24

Oil on 1.5 in cradled panel 

$1,000

This painting comments on the weight women carry to support our world. The main subject of the painting is a sculpture of a female figure holding up a nautilus shell. She is surrounded by flowers and plants growing out of the shell. Women continue to work more than men in the combined efforts of their work force participation and unpaid domestic labor. Women also carry the emotional burden of listening, fixing, consoling, and solving complex social problems in their communities. Because much of female labor goes unpaid, we continue to ignore the contributions women make to holding our world together. In this image, we see a woman supporting growth and beauty around her while carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders. The painting alludes to the timelessness of this issue by using traditional still life flowers and motifs. This artwork celebrates the female strength and asks us to pay attention to the hard working women all around us.

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Robin Hextrum

Robin Hextrum is a contemporary oil painter who lives and works in the Denver area. She grew up in a small coastal town called Stinson Beach in Northern California where she developed a passion for the natural environment. During her undergraduate studies at USC she completed a double major in Fine Art and Neuroscience while also rowing on the Varsity Women’s Crew Team. Following this diverse experience, she studied at Laguna College of Art and Design where she received her MFA in painting. She then completed a second Master’s degree in Modern and Contemporary Art History at UC Riverside. Her paintings represent a fusion of her traditional art training with her knowledge of art history and art theory. Robin is now an Assistant Professor of Visual Art at Regis University. She has gallery representation at Abend Gallery in Colorado. Robin Hextrum has exhibited her paintings across the country and is the recipient of grants from The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation and The Stobart Foundation.