Vlada Kavalchuk

“A woman who can be a leader”. Leadership is not gender-specific. It is the selfless quality to help and inspire others to achieve success. Specifically, my concept is about women who have faith in their own personal strength. Aspirations greatly influnce our essence, and can provide colossal amounts of courage and strength to accomplish our greatest desires. I believe metal is a material that highlights this sense of strength. Through my work, I try to abolish all social labels associated with women. I strongly believe in our united community. Labels give a convenient excuse to limit potential, and only by overcoming such stereotypes, can we reach the things we truly deserve.

This was my first experience working on an object with such a profound, socially important message. Throughout the course, this project has become something very important and special for me. In my country, topics such as feminism are often avoided. Therefore, I felt a higher sense of responsibility while working on the trophy. I didn’t solely focus on the visual aspect of my design, but also the reflection/sound of the women’s voices in my trophy.

willI believethewinnerwillfeelthattheyareasignificantfigure.I hopethey alsofeelmoreconfidentforreceivingrecognitionoftheirmeritsin supportingsuchanimportanttopicasfeminism.

I would like to draw attention to our societal constructs in relation to gender stereotypes, which we ourselves have created. We should strive to be more attentive and open towards each other, and never forget the importance of this topic to society as a whole.