Art / Binder of Women
Binder of Women Collective present first exhibition in Bristol
The Binder of Women is an independent, artist-led platform initially created in LA in 2017 by Hilary Pecis and brought to the UK five years later by Pia Pack.
Its name derives from an expression coined by Mitt Romney in a 2012 US Presidential Debate with Barack Obama, in which he claimed to search for female cabinet candidates using a “binder full of women” – serving not to bolster, but to alienate female support.
Instead, the art collective exists in order “to empower female artists, expand their reach, broach the topic of equality and consent in the art world, and take action to grow the number of works by female identifying artists in contemporary art collections”.
Catherine Knight, Nightwalk, 2023 – photo: courtesy of the artist
At their first exhibition in Bristol, the Binder of Women will be showing work from six female artists at 17 Midland Road.
Alongside Pack, the artists participating are Eve Ackroyd, Nettle Grellier, Catherine Knight, Karolina Ptaszkowska and Myrna Quiñonez – all based either in the UK or US.
“I am really looking forward to being a part of this Bristol edition of the Binder of Women,” says Knight. “I have admired the other five artists’ work from afar and am excited to show alongside them at Midland road bound together by a common theme.
Nettle Grellier, Old Wives, 2025 – photo: courtesy of the artist
“The space is so unique with a mix of bare brick walls and exposed plaster, it makes a great backdrop for showing paintings.”
All the pieces selected are responding to the notion of ‘Axis’. As the curators make clear, it’s an idea that can be taken in very distinct directions: “from the central axis points of the human experience to paintings where axis functions as a symbolic bridge between the two distinct but interconnected worlds of night and day, and paintings that consider and manipulate the axis in ways that defy conventional compositions.
“The result is an exhibition that invites contemplation of both the visible and invisible forces that guide our understanding of the world around us.”
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Axis is at 17 Midland Road on May 15-31 with a special opening night from 6-9pm and then open daily from 10am-6pm. Admission is free. Visit www.binderofwomen.co.uk or follow @binderofwomen or @17midlandroad for more information.
Main photo: 17 Midland Road
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