Apiphobia (also known as melissophobia) is defined as “an unreasonable fear of bees that can cause avoidance and panic.” Anonda Bell investigates this phobia by portraying its opposite—a woman standing in a typical “bee beard” pose, calm and prepared to invite as many bees as possible to cover her face and body. Begun in Russia in the 1830s, bee bearding became a craze in the United States in the late 1800s and continues around the world today, mostly at agricultural shows and fairs. Within her larger series entitled Biophobia, Bell engages human psychology, particularly common phobias and social discomfort, using a variety of flora and fauna.
Anonda Bell has created a public art project in East Harlem, and has had a solo exhibition at Monash University Project Space, Melbourne, Australia. Her work has also been included in group exhibitions at AIR Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; City Without Walls, Newark, NJ; Figment Festival, Governors Island, NY; and University of Melbourne, Australia. She is a recipient of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Community Arts Fund Grant and the Australia Council for the Arts, Professional Development Funding for Placement in International Program at Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY. She received an MFA from Monash University and a BFA from R.M.I.T. University.
For more information visit Anonda Bell's website and on the website of Gallery Afferro. |
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