Monica Sjöö

The Great Cosmic Mother

Stockholm, 13.5 2023 – 15.10 2023

Monica Sjöö (1938–2005) was a Swedish-British artist, activist, writer and eco-feminist. Art, politics and spirituality are inseparable in her oeuvre, and Sjöö became a key figure in the British women’s liberation movement. With a deep commitment to women’s rights and environmentalism, she fought uncompromisingly for freedom from any form of oppression. This retrospective exhibition introduces visitors to works that were all created to promote social change, causing controversy and cries for censorship at the time. Their subject matter and messages are just as relevant today.

Pressrelease Monica Sjöö The Great Cosmic Mother

If you like to recieve the exhibition catalogue (PDF) via e-mail, please contact us at: press@modernamuseet.se

Curators: Jo Widoff, Moderna Museet and Amy Budd, Modern Art Oxford

“Monica Sjöö – The Great Cosmic Mother” is organized in partnership with Modern Art Oxford, where it will be on view 18 November 2023–25 February 2024.

Monica Sjöö, Title missing © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Title missing Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Back Street Abortion – Women Seeking Freedom from Oppression, 1968 © Moderna Museet.
Photo: Tobias Fischer

Monica Sjöö, God Giving Birth, 1968 © Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Cosmos Within Her Womb, 1971 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö
Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Past and Present, 1969 © Moderna Museet. Photo: Prallan Allsten/Moderna
museet

Monica Sjöö, Cretan Mysteries, 1980 © Moderna Museet. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Woman Beautiful Love/Tigress, 1972 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö) Photo: Krister Hägglund/Skellefteå museum

Monica Sjöö, Amazon Warrior Women, 1999 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, House–Wives, 1973 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/
Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Title missing, 1968 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/
Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, St. Non’s Well – Holy Grail, 1996 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Birth and The Struggle for Liberation, 1970 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Women Need Not Always Keep Their Mouths Shut & Their Wombs Open, 1968 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/ Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Emma Goldman, 1967 © Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå. Photo: Krister Hägglund/Skellefteå museum 2014

Monica Sjöö, Lament for My Young Son, 1986 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Rebirth from the Motherpot, 1986 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Meeting the Ancestors at Avebury, 1993 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö.
Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Lunar Child of The Sea, 1982 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Mother Earth in Pain, Her Trees Cut Down, Her Seas Polluted, 1996 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Foto: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, The Goddess and Green Man/Tree of Life, 1990 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö.
Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Forest Beings, 1997 © The Estate of Monica
Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/
Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Sisterhood is Powerful, 1972 © Private collection. Foto: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Our Bodies Ourselves, 1974 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Sheela na Gig, Creation, 1978 © Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå (deposition from The Estate of Monica Sjöö). Photo: Krister Hägglund/Skellefteå museum 2014

Monica Sjöö, The Goddess at Avebury and Silbury, 1978 Monica Sjöö, The Goddess at Avebury and Silbury, 1978 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Rebirth from the Motherpot, 1986 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet © The Estate of Monica Sjöö

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 To the left: Amazon Warrior Women (1999), in the middle: Mother Earth in Pain, Her Trees Cut Down, Her Seas Polluted (1993)
Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet © The Estate of Monica Sjöö

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 To the right: The spirit of the stone (1979) © Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Mother Earth in Pain, Her Trees Cut Down, Her Seas Polluted, 1996 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet © The Estate of Monica Sjöö

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 To the left: Cretan Mysteries (1980), to the right: St. Non’s Well – Holy Grail (1996) Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet © The Estate of Monica Sjöö

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, Meeting the Ancestors at Areberry (1993), 2023 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet © The Estate of Monica Sjöö

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 To the left: The Goddess at Avebury and Silbury (1978), to the right: Lunar Child of The Sea (1982)
Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet © The Estate of Monica Sjöö

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, 2023 From left to right: House–Wives (1973), Cosmos Within Her Womb (1971), Sheela na Gig, Creation (1978), Aspects of the great mother (1971), Birth and The Struggle for Liberation (1970)
Art works 1–3 and 5 © The Estate of Monica Sjöö. Art work 4 © Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå (deposition from The Estate of Monica Sjöö). Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Sisterhood is Powerful (1972) and Back Street Abortion – Women Seeking Freedom from Oppression (1968), 2023 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet

Monica Sjöö, Woman Beautiful Love/Tigress, 1972 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet © Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå (deposition from The Estate of Monica Sjöö)

Monica Sjöö, Installation view, Sisterhood is Powerful (1972) and Back Street Abortion – Women Seeking Freedom from Oppression (1968), 2023 Photo: Mattias Lindbäck/Moderna Museet