Christina Todesco-Kelly, Wendy Dison, Diarmuid Breen, Ian Humphries, Eileen Healy, Brian Lalor • Curated by Catherine Weld

Accoutrements

They are many-layered things. They signal our place within the social structure. They have uses. They are tools. They provide comfort and security. They are objects of mystery and power.

Women acknowledge real or idealized images they hold of themselves, encouraging and hopeful. They carry with them the tools needed to deal with situations they imagine they will encounter.

What does a woman carry in her handbag? The answer is as mysterious and personal as the woman herself.

The handbag has two aspects, of course. One is outward-facing: Soft or hard, adorned with shiny metal clasps and buckles, or pulled into a pucker with a velvet or satin drawstring. Inside, organized into crisp compartments, or an open expanse of loose possibilities.

Is the handbag an efficient tool or an opportunity for exploration?

Shoes represent our public selves. We embellish our feet in ways we won’t with other parts of our bodies. Why? We invite others to lower their eyes to our magnificence. Our shoes, raising our heels, propel us into exquisite adventure. They lift our spirits and spread our wings with delight. Shoes can be serious, of course, but why? when they can sparkle and shine? When their materials and design can hint at seduction (or not).

– Alice Engelmore