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As part of her Odyssey Scholars project, senior Miri Kuenzler ’25 held a solo exhibition of art and poetry. The opening reception was held on September 9 for “Unembodied Form: Reclaiming Correlations Between the Environment and the Divine Feminine.”

Combining her love for painting, art criticism, and art history, Miri has been researching the representation of women in fine art. In her artist’s statement, she writes: 

“Too often, the nude female figure has been brushed up against gallery and museum walls, dehumanizing women as mere objects, and failing to represent who women are. These narratives invade public and private arts communities, pushing women viewers away as discrete reminders of past wounds, women abused by men who painted and profited off of their bodies, failing to recognize who they were and what their body meant to them. The hypersexualization and objectification of women in fine art is a problem rooted deeply within the societal expectation of woman as angelic subject and man as viewer. An idea which first began by excluding women from attending art schools and figure drawing classes, which in turn discouraged women from exploring the female form as a means of storytelling, personality, and divine love.”

“As a society, we often have ideas of history being something we cannot change. We see menacing events of the past as unembodied events written down in textbooks. However, if we can take these past wounds and create something new, we reclaim systems of marginalization while turning them into actions of beauty, resilience, and justice.”

The summer before her junior year, Miri attended an early college program at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), meeting other artists from all around the world.  

Next, Miri is exploring the possibility of working with community organizations on some type of mural and plans to attend art school after graduation. 

The Odyssey Scholars Program is a two-year, in-depth project that spans students’ junior and senior years. The Scholars choose an area of study they’re passionate about and then, under the close guidance of the program director, develop their own wide-ranging research courses. 

Odyssey Scholars challenge themselves academically, intellectually, and creatively to become a part of the global discussion associated with their chosen fields.

You can read more about the Odyssey Scholars Program here and explore students’ past and present projects.