The ones who don’t let go
Updated: Aug 20
At this year’s Archibald Prize, my (almost) teenage daughter held my hand as we wandered through the exhibition. There’s something rather lovely about a girl still wanting to do this at a time when mothers could be generally considered terminally embarrassing.
After examining each painting in the exhibition, we returned to Caroline Zilinsky’s Two Zimmermanns, a charming but unusual portrait of Nicky and Simone Zimmermann. (The Australian) .
In the centre of the painting, the two sisters’ hands are lovingly clasped. Their other hands are linked by a needle and thread, symbolising their professional connection.
Standing beside my daughter, those joined hands felt especially important.
The painting is about sisters, fashion and creative partnership, but I saw something broader in it. Females holding females. Sisters. Mothers and daughters. Friends. Generations passing strength, appreciation and wisdom between them.
Zilinsky’s painting also reminded me of Frida Kahlo’s slightly gorier work The Two Fridas. In both pictures, the holding hands feel like a lifeline, a small act of refusing to let the other (or oneself) go.
Perhaps that’s one of the most beautiful ways women and girls have continued to survive? By reaching out and holding on to each other.
How grateful I am for the fabulous females in my life. But I’m most grateful for my daughter—my hand will always be there should she reach for it, no matter what.
Whose hand will you hold today?
x Victoria
About Victoria Hall
Victoria Hall is an English-born, Australian-based writer and illustrator. She is the creator of three picture books for children, Penny Prickles at Coogee Beach, Eggy Peggy Has Lost Her Leggy and The Fairy Beasts. For more information, check out her really outdated bio here.
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