Description

From the renowned artist, designer, and author of *The Principles of Uncertainty* and *My Favorite Things* comes a vibrant collection of paintings and words that offers a poignant reflection on the richness and complexity of women’s lives—expressed through the things they carry.

“What do women hold? They hold their homes and families. They hold children and food. They hold friendships, careers, the weight of the world. They hold memories, burdens, sorrows, triumphs. And above all, they hold love.”

In the spring of 2021, Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman created a limited-edition booklet titled *Women Holding Things*, featuring Maira’s evocative paintings paired with her personal and insightful commentary. The booklet quickly sold out. Now, that original collection has been expanded into an extraordinary visual book that delves even deeper into the significance of what women—both literally and symbolically—hold.

This expanded edition includes the original artwork alongside sixty-seven new paintings, each accompanied by intimate reflections, stories, and observations. Kalman presents portraits of women—both well-known and everyday figures—including Virginia Woolf, Sally Hemings, Hortense Cézanne, and Gertrude Stein, as well as members of her own family and people she has encountered. Each woman is depicted holding something, whether they are physical objects—balloons, a whisk, a hat, a chicken—or intangible emotions and experiences—dreams, regrets, sorrow, love.

Through her paintings, Kalman explores the breadth of what women hold in their hands and lives. A woman holds a book. She holds shears. She holds children. She holds a grudge. She holds herself up. She holds her own. With each image, Kalman captures the resilience, courage, vulnerability, and strength that define women’s experiences. She also reveals that the things we cherish, the burdens we carry, and the emotions we pass down through generations remain constant and connect us all.

Interwoven in the book are a few men, such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Anton Chekhov, also pictured holding things, as well as objects holding other objects, inviting readers to reflect on the relationships between them.

*Women Holding Things* is an exploration of the significance of the items we carry in our hands, hearts, and minds. Through her distinctive artistry and storytelling, Maira Kalman celebrates life and the human experience, offering a fresh perspective on what matters most in our world—and within ourselves.