The Great Cosmic Mother - Monica Sjöö

Artist, activist, writer and eco-feminist Monica Sjöö (1938-2005) was unwavering in her advocacy for gender justice, eco-feminism, matriarchy and social equities. This companion catalogue to Modern Art Oxford's retrospective exhibition charts her life work and considers the relationship between art, spirituality and politics.

Tracing the artist’s deep commitment to gender and environmental justice, The Great Cosmic Mother showcases Sjöö’s large-scale paintings created in response to the wide-ranging feminist and environmental campaigns she was actively involved in throughout her life. Sjöö’s prescient artworks were a pioneering form of environmental activism and anticipated politically urgent debates surrounding the climate emergency today.

The cataloque features artworks spanning Sjöö’s 40-year career alongside her writing, photographs, activist publications, banners, posters and personal documents to highlight how Sjöö saw creative work as a vital part of life, and art making as a means of reconnecting the alternative values of past cultures to the present.