Avante-Garden

Kristina Filler’s portraits of the nine exceptional women that she chose to illustrate for her first solo art show have a true presence.

Walking into Worth-Pinkham Memorial Library, where the show called “Avante-Garden” was recently on display for Women’s History Month, the female subjects were each drawn in an archway silhouette that Filler says adds a regal vibe, mimicking a hall of busts.

Their strength, “otherworldly” auras, and accomplishments jump off the page, leaving viewers all at once impressed (dare I say, even a little intimidated), inspired, and comforted.

It’s the juxtaposition of grit and softness women possess that Filler hopes to capture, including meaningful flowers in each portrait to punctuate the belief that women’s tie to nature is a strength rather than a weakness, as it has been more commonly depicted, the artist says.

“I want people to feel the power of these women but also appreciate their tenderness and poise from the inclusion of flowers,” Filler says. “Each woman is shown looking to the right, to express that they are looking towards a better future for women.”

Everything Has Meaning

Filler says it was total happenstance and a dose of procrastination that dictated the show’s theme. She was approached in late fall by Ho-Ho-Kus library staff members about displaying her work.

She was interested, but with the impending holiday season and the chaos that comes with it, she knew she needed time to develop a theme or thesis and create the art. March sounded far enough off, and it happens to be Women’s History Month.

Filler, a multidisciplinary artist and writer known for her murals, says she has primarily concentrated on client work throughout her career and was thrilled to share her art in her hometown, while telling the stories of incredible women in celebration of Women’s History Month.

“I am used to taking assignments from people and being given a direction or story to tell,” she says. “I love making art, but it’s rare that I’m in my house just painting for me. I had a bit of imposter syndrome surrounding the idea of an art show, but there was something about doing it at the library. I know a library; I get the vibe. ‘I can do it,’ I thought.”

The show wasn’t Filler’s first foray into women’s history. She co-hosted a feminist podcast called “Women Crush Weekly” with a friend several years ago, and says it was exciting to have a subject she was familiar with and could instantly picture.

She began by choosing women with whom she feels a connection.

“There are so many feminist books and inspiring women—you could pick anyone, but I find my art turns out better when I personally feel something,” Filler says.

The first portrait was of Jane Goodall, a beloved and renowned primatologist and anthropologist known for six decades of field research in Tanzania exploring the social and family life of wild chimpanzees.

Filler was first inspired by Goodall when she did a book report on her as a child, and says her desire to draw the icon following her death in October at age 91 is partially what inspired this series.

From there, she went on to draw Ejae, a South Korean-American singer and songwriter who co-wrote the earworm “Golden,” featured in KPop Demon Hunters, for which she is the singing voice of the main character, Rumi. Partially raised in Fort Lee, Ejae has broken many records for co-writing and singing the first K-Pop track to win an Academy Award, Grammy, and Golden Globe. (This portrait has been a fan favorite among young library patrons, library staff members say.)

More women came to mind: American figure skater and Olympic champion Alysa Liu; beloved children’s entertainer and humanitarian Ms. Rachel (Rachel Accurso); American painter Amy Sherald; Anne Frank, whose diaries were published after she was murdered in the Holocaust; Lily Gladstone, an actress, Indigenous activist and queer supporter of the LGTBQ+ community; Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; and finally Hoboken mayor Emily Jabbour.

As details of the show and the work she wanted to create began to take shape, Filler says she focused not only on women who meant something to her personally, but also on those who had made headlines for one reason or another over the past year.

The portraits were created using digital painting, Filler says. Everything is hand-drawn just as it would be on paper or canvas, the only difference being that it saves time, she says. Each piece took her between one and a half to two days, whereas drawing on paper would have taken at least a week for each portrait, Filler says.

Creating the art digitally also makes it easier to play, Filler says. You can “undo” on an iPad, or easily change out colors.

Filler says she initially drew the women on white backgrounds—she wanted them to be the focus - but it looked a little plain or unfinished, she says. She began to play with abstract, funky backgrounds, which she says gave her another element to represent the women in addition to the flowers (for example, the pattern on the background of Anne Frank’s portrait is the same as the cover of one of her diaries).

“Everything has meaning,” Filler says.

When it came to the flowers, some were more obvious than others, the artist says. If a flower came to mind, she would look up its significance to make sure it coincided with what she was trying to say and reflected the subject’s personality, culture, or career. If not, she’d explore other options. The flowers are an important element of Filler’s message.

“Women do have hormonal weaknesses—it’s true, but I think because of that our other strengths that come from nature, that come from within us, like a mother’s intuition, get undervalued or disregarded,” she says. “Look at all the amazing things we can do. Our emotional cores can be a strength, providing deeper feelings, intuition, and empathy.”

Filler says she’s appreciative of the opportunity to potentially spark conversations surrounding feminism (a topic she says sometimes gets a bad rap) and women’s accomplishments and duality.

“I tried to make this a joyful viewing experience that hopefully tunes people into the topic of feminism,” she says. “It might inspire them to talk about it, ask questions, or dive deeper and understand why people feel so fiercely about the fight for equal rights.”

On a personal note, Filler, also a mom to two small kids, says she is proud to have accomplished creating her first solo show on such a meaningful topic (despite sick days and snow days).

“I really encourage people to share their work—it’s scary, and it’s hard, but it’s worth it.”

If you missed out on the show, scan the QR code to view the online gallery or visit the artist’s homepage, kristinafiller.com. To learn more about Filler, visit her Instagram page @kstar810.

Sarah Nolan is a writer with a passion for telling people’s stories. A Ho-Ho-Kus native, she believes in the power of local journalism to connect and inform residents and foster a sense of community.