It’s the month for celebrating women! Although females have made great strides toward equality, there are still constant factors like the wage gap and pink tax to remind women that they are not yet viewed as equal.
There’s an overwhelming amount of pressure on females to do it all: meet the beauty standards, speak out for justice, take care of others, succeed in their careers to prove that they can, and on and on.
This month, we’d like to highlight four creative women who use art or language as tools of expression, tools of encouragement, and tools of education.
1. Morgan Harper Nichols
Beginning her career as a college admission counselor, Nichols started working as a freelance musician and is now a full-time artist and poet. She shares her art on her Instagram account @morganharpernichols, which has amassed 1.6 million followers drawn to her encouraging and inspiring art. She has a knack for saying what so many people, especially females, need to hear.
Nichols shares her art for free on Instagram, through her app Storyteller, and on her online shop Garden24. Last year, she released the poetry book All Along You Were Blooming, and in April of this year, she will release How Far You Have Come, a mix of personal reflections and poems. She has partnered with brands such as Adobe, Anthropologie, and Aerie to spread her uplifting messages.
According to Nichols, her art is all about connection.
I’ve continued to explore how arts helps us connect to one another. My creative journey has been fueled by empathy and curiosity. I would say that much of my work centers on the question: ‘How can we create connection?’
https://morganharpernichols.com/
2. Jessie Bearden
Jessie Bearden’s art is breath-taking and leaves people wondering how she could possibly pull it off. Most known for her portraits using unconventional materials, Bearden was the runner-up on season 2 of NBC’s Making It. She’s worked with brands such as The Gap, MTV, and ESPN.
Among many other materials, Bearden has made portraits out of food, eraser shavings, basketballs dribbled in paint, lipstick kiss marks, and money. Her work is often fun and light-hearted, but Bearden also uses her art to speak up about important issues, whether that’s the Black Lives Matter movement or in support of survivors.
Bearden’s work often makes an impact, but even with her pop culture portraits, the artist challenges the status quo and is pushing the envelope when it comes to art.
3. Marina Abramović
Abramović is a Serbian performance artist who is also challenging the boundaries and definition of art. At 74 years old, she is the self-proclaimed grandmother of performance art. She was born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and studied painting until transitioning into performance art in the 70s.
One of her most famous performances was at the Museum of Modern Art in 2010: in a show of endurance, Abramović participated in a two-and-a-half month performance titled “The Artist Is Present.” She sat at one end of the table and allowed guests to sit at the other end for a while and look her in the eyes, making a statement about the diminishing existence of human connection and peace.
Image from Andrew Russeth on Flickr, Wikimedia Commons
Abramović’s work often explores relationships, the body, or feminism. She is currently working on an opera project titled 7 Deaths of Maria Callas, which premieres in September.
4. Shirin Neshat
Shirin Neshat is a talented visual artist whose work challenges what society deems as acceptable and highlights contrasts between different groups. Born in Iran, Neshat moved to the U.S. in 1974 to study fine arts at the University of California, Berkley. She moved to New York City but did not create art for 10 years until returning to Iran.
Once back home, Neshat began producing video installations that examined the role and oppositions of gender in society, specifically drawing attention to the Islamic laws restricting women.
In an exhibition hosted by Art 19, Neshat discussed the importance of artists speaking out against injustice:
It has always been my opinion that artists should be politically conscious, and in my personal case being born as an Iranian, a country that has undermined basic human rights particularly since the Islamic revolution, I have uncontrollably gravitated toward making art that is concerned with issue of tyranny, dictatorship, oppression and political injustice. Although I don’t consider myself an activist, I believe my art regardless of its nature, is an expression of protest, and a cry for humanity.
https://www.art-19.com/shirin-neshat
We encourage you to check out these artists and support ALL creators right now if you are able to, by viewing their work or purchasing from the artists if available.
