To exist or identify as a woman comes with complex certainties about how the world will interact with them. As women, we are destined to experience pain, strength, pressure, compromise, fear, apprehension, disdain, patience, rage, compassion, friendship, and loyalty. As we navigate the world, we as women will undergo many trials and tribulations, and will uncover unique ways to endure and overcome them triumphantly. “Unbecoming" challenges and reclaims a phrase historically weaponized against women—used to label actions deemed inappropriate or unladylike by societal standards. In this exhibition, “Unbecoming” simultaneously references the unpacking and unravelling of the generational impact left on women by women.

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Central to this exhibition is the evolution of womanhood across generations, the habitual moments that shape and celebrate female experiences, the diverse expressions of femininity, and the personal narratives that reveal intimate, transformative stories of female empowerment. Each artist brings a unique perspective to these themes—some exploring matriarchal lineage, others examining their experiences of womanhood, femininity, and gender expression. This exhibition provides a platform for artists and photographers to share their relationship to these topics, weaving together an all-encompassing narrative of womanhood through ten distinct lenses.

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In collaboration with The 525’s Curatorial Director Rowen Dinsmore and their first-ever Guest Curator, photographer Molly Schikosky, The 525 presents "Unbecoming." This group exhibition delves into the diverse experiences and perspectives of womanhood across generations, featuring works by ten female-identifying artists: Leo Lauren Conquergood, Hannah Alex, Xiao Han, Berit Johnson, Emily Johnson, Mona Khan, Molly Schikosky, Darby Sutherland, Tammy Zdunich, and Emma Zuck.

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Rowen Dinsmore & Molly Schikosky