IWD 2023: Celebrating women in art - The Element team on the artists that inspire them
Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, you’ll probably know that it was International Women’s Day earlier this month. Although we at Element believe that everyday is women’s day, the occasion offers a chance to reflect upon and celebrate their achievements throughout history and today.
Whether it’s scientific breakthroughs or legislation changes, or even the advice our mother’s gave us when we were small. Women are integral to shaping better societies and have often used art as a means to do so. Take a read of our latest blog post below, where we asked each of the Element team to:
Name an artist who inspires you..
Jord-ann
“My favourite artist is Faith Ringgold who is a Political painter, Writer, Performance artist and civil rights activist who is best known for her narrative quilts. Her artwork consists of quilt-making to tell stories about herself and the African American experience in more detail.
Her art is often inspired by African culture and her quilts pay tribute to a range of historical time periods and cultural figures such as Jacob Lawrence and Josephine Baker.
In the 1960s, Faith created 'American People' which is a series that focuses on the civil rights movement from the black woman’s perspective. Her artwork is bold and carries significant meaning.”
From left to right: Faith Ringgold, Early Works 25: Self-Portrait (1965), Mama Can Sing, Papa Can Blow #1: (2004), Woman Looking in a Mirror (2022), #4: Jo Baker's Bananas (1995)
Lydia
“DropDeadDidi is a crochet and knitwear designer. Born and raised in South London, Safia Didi is influenced by her colourful home and North African heritage. Inspired by the rich tapestry of culture in her hometown, Safia finds inspiration in music, nature, texture and especially the self expression and playfulness of women in the city.
This international Women's Day I want to celebrate not only her artistry but the beauty I have found in my friendship with her for the last fifteen years. Purley, a self-taught artist teaching herself crochet patterns from YouTube, Safia shows us how accessible creativity can be in 2023. Every stitch of her designs is living proof of just how powerful art-making can be as a tool in soothing mental health struggles.
As a friend, Safia has inspired me to understand across differences, and to bring thoughtfulness and a little pinch of creativity to everything I do. The epitome of true female friendship: honest, supportive and loving. Shout out to all the artists creating magic in their bedrooms and to all of the female friendships. Cherish them.”
Halima
“Ingrid Pollard is a British artist and photographer who explores social constructs including racial difference and Britishness through landscapes and portraiture. Her 1980s series of photographs called Pastoral Interludes explores the presence of Black people in the English landscape. As she writes in an accompanying caption:”
“it’s as if the Black experience is only lived within an urban environment: I thought I liked the Lake District where I wandered lonely as a Black face in a sea of white. A visit to the countryside is always accompanied by a feeling of unease, dread…”.
“I particularly enjoy this series because it directs us to consider how modes of presentation can transform the way we read an image.”
Above: Ingrid Pollard, Pastoral Interlude (1987)
Alex
“My favourite artist is Audre Lorde. She published essays and books on countering hatred and challenging systemic oppression; she wrote beautiful, seering novels and poetry; and she was an activist who embodied the importance of an intersectional approach to social justice:”
"I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't"
“There is a photograph of her, standing by a board that reads: Women are Powerful and Dangerous. I love it!”
Jo
“There are so many inspirational women in the arts, it is difficult to choose just one. But an artist whose work I’ve always admired is the Croatian conceptual artist Sanja Ivekovic. Since the late 60s, Ivekovic’s work has boldly challenged oppressive regimes and power structures, highlighted women’s issues such as beauty standards and domestic violence, and sought to recognise the achievements of women everyday, by allowing them to be seen.
Her 2016 film entitled The Invisible Women of Erste Campus left a lasting impression on me, because it so poignantly highlights the invisible (often female) labour which maintains the city buildings we commonly find ourselves in. I can’t really enter any gallery, library or corporate office without being reminded of it.”
Sanja Ivekovic, The Invisible Women of Erste Campus (2016)
“I also admire her continued experimentation with new materials and mediums. From photography, film, performance to sculpture. All her works demonstrate a thought-provoking subversion of existing modes of visual communication. Whether that’s through referencing art history, political ideology, contemporary media or advertising.”
From left to right: Sanja Ivekovic, Triangle (1979), Instructions No. 1 (1976), Sweet Violence (1974), Personal Cuts (1982)