COZY* reflects on the contemporary, prevailing archetype of feminine representation in Western cultures: the “boss bitch”, or in academic terms, the “neoliberal feminist”. Figures like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, the Kardashians, Jennifer Lopez, and Gwyneth Paltrow embody this trope. Their shared attributes are capital, power, influence, agency, and consequently, setting impossible standards for women everywhere. COZY is a collection of concrete-filled, high-heeled shoes, where material can be read as an unsettling replacement for human flesh. These pieces question whether symbols and tools associated with feminine oppression can in fact be reclaimed as statements of empowerment.

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The group of objects could be read as a gathering of disfigured individuals, or an eerie catwalk display where the appeal of, at times sophisticated, shoewear has been contrasted with a representation of body parts that do not conform to the canon associated with marketing practices that capitalize on the feminine body. In COZY, cultural norms, including those related to sex and gender, and consumer market strategies are in a clash with reality — a conflict which Yedidia does not so much seek to resolve as to highlight and present as an ongoing tension in the process of identity-making.

Text by: Krzysztof Kosciuczuk  

Individual sculpture titles*
COZY (Leave something for the imagination)
COZY (Skip dessert)
COZY (Lighten your skin. Tan your skin.)
COZY (Plump your lips)
COZY (Botox your wrinkles)
COZY (Perk up your boobs)
COZY (Look natural)
COZY (Don't get old)
COZY (Don't be a prude)
COZY (Have a little fun)
COZY (Smile more)
COZY (Don't be like the other girls)
COZY (Don't be intimidating)
COZY (Don't be so emotional)
COZY (Endure the pain)
COZY (Boost his ego)
COZY (Fold his clothes. Cook his dinner.)
COZY (Don't get raped)​

*Sub-titles are cited from:

Camille Rainville, "Be A Lady They Said", Writings of a Furious Woman, December 9th 2017, https://writingsofafuriouswoman.wordpress.com/2017/12/09/be-a-lady-they-said/

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