Liliane Lijn's 1980s-90s works on paper reveal cosmic and feminist explorations at Rodeo London

Rodeo in London presented Liliane Lijn's exhibition SHE from 2–29 May 2019, featuring 45 oil pastels and drawings on paper from the 1980s and early 1990s. These two-dimensional works display gestural, swirling marks in rich colors, continuing Lijn's long-standing interests in cosmology, mythology, and science. The exhibition includes pieces like Firelight (1992) with frenzied scratchy markings and Dance (1984) with amorphous blobs on purple backgrounds. Many works served as studies for installations, particularly the ambitious 1986 sculptural work Woman of War, a steel and aluminum figure with LEDs, lasers, and recorded vocals. Lijn sought to create a new feminine image through robotics and protofeminist mythology during this period, drawing inspiration from nature and the built environment. Works such as Her Monstrous Head (1989–94), Dark Angel (1991), and Lady of Light (1991) explore hybrid womanhood with mystic philosophy. Lijn's early career was influenced by French Surrealism and the Beat generation, with her Poem Machines from 1962 attracting attention from William Burroughs. Her work from this era engaged with cybernetics and cyborgian possibilities, paralleling Donna Haraway's 1984 'A Cyborg Manifesto'. The exhibition used Lijn's 1988 poem 'Bride's Song' as an organizing device, printed in place of a press release.