Wandering Women and the Wind Catcher by Evelyn Albrow

In this new body of work for Collect 2026, I continue to explore alternative matriarchal utopias. The past, present and future meet on celestial and earth- bound planes, creating dreamy worlds inhabited by monsters, matrons, saints and goddesses. 

Inspired by contemporary and historical spiritual and secular utopias, from Beguinages (founded in 1200s) to everyday communes like the Maison de Babayagas (set up in 2014 in Paris), this work explores ideas around community, solidarity, and feminism. 

The Calliach, a powerful, ancient Gaelic matriarch,  guides them on journeys across the sea in search of new beginnings and their own terrestrial paradise, where, on the horizon, a Beguinage style community offers them respite within walled gardens. They can avail themselves of large baths, choir stalls, and a well-equipped alchemy workshop to prepare for their insurgency against the male-instigated apocalypse.

Wandering Women and the Wind Catcher 

The band of wandering women, pilgrims, and mythical creatures continue their journey, climbing united towards their new community at the top of the hill/vessel. I was inspired by surreal pilgrim badges, particularly those of vaginas on horseback. Vulvas were popular badges, some say to ward off the evil eye. While this reading can’t be confirmed, to the contemporary audience vulvas appear to be empowering sexual symbols. The badge of a rider with a net attempting to catch wind was a symbol of an upside down world. I’ve also created characters that have wandered out of H Bosch’s sketches of witches, von Megenberg’s hybrids and holy figures like St Wilgefortis.  

The title for this work is based on the book Wandering Women and Holy Matrons by Leigh Ann Craig, on the experience of female pilgrims in Europe between 1300-1500.

Stoneware vessel.

2026

64H x 33W cm