Neutrois
Susanna Katter
2023
The artwork portrays an image of an androgynous intersex being that combines both demonic and heavenly attributes. It possesses both male and female characteristics, with its body halves vertically divided, the left half being female and the right half male. This symbolizes the union and balance of opposites. Repeated circular elements represent completeness and equilibrium.
The hands of the being are uplifted, as if reaching out to the gods in the heavens, its spiritual family. This conveys the desire for a connection with higher powers and a higher purpose.
The representation of the intersex being pays homage to the diversity of gender identities, especially the concept of Neutrois. Neutrois represents the desire for the absence of gender-specific features and a gender-neutral body.
The concepts of androgyny and intersexuality are interpreted in various ways in different cultures and myths. In Western culture, the myth of the "The myth of androgynes," as described by Aristophanes in Plato's "Symposium," is particularly well-known. This myth emphasizes the quest for unity and love as an expression of the longing of halved humans to reunite with their missing halves.
The artist herself struggled with gender-specific norms and perceptions during her youth, often holding a Neutrois concept of her own gender identity. In this self-portrait, she opens up her thoughts about herself and breaks free from internal conflicts.
This artwork invites reflection on the complexity and beauty of gender diversity and the pursuit of completeness and balance in our world.
It serves as a reminder that one's own gender is something fluid, self-determined, and self-defined, and that everyone should determine its meaning for themselves.
Biography
Susanna Katter is born 1994 in Graz, currently lives and works in Graz. Active organizational member of the SAMA Kollektiv and working in an atelier at Schaumbad Graz.
She studied Graphics and Photography at the University of Art and Design Linz, where she obtained her Bachelor's degree. Due to her numerous travels and residences in Austria as well as her passion for the mountains, she has worked in various places. She is currently a freelance artist and workshop leader based in Graz and is dedicated to working on canvases and large murals. Her current works deal with themes such as illusions, dreams, perception and reality. The motifs of her artworks range from current social issues to people, animals, nature and their relationship to each other, unite part of abstractions and figurative motivs.