As with many other fields of work, women were often not recognised in art history, generally only celebrating the great works done by men. However, just because they are not recognised does not mean they do not exist!
Recently, women have been getting more respect in the world of art. Often the hardships of being a woman are even represented in their art.
Here’s a list of five women artists that have pushed the barriers of gender equality in art:
Bridget Riley
About the Artist:
Bridget Riley was born in the 1930s in London. She studied art at university and began work as an illustrator for an advertising agency. Soon after, she began to work as an art teacher for children.
She and her partner decided to buy a farm and converted it to an art studio. She had her first exhibition in 1962.
Bridget has travelled the world to gain inspiration for her art. In the beginning, she stuck to black and white paintings, only introducing colour after her trip to Egypt.
Since then, Bridget has been making her signature ‘op art’, which causes the viewer to see movement in these still paintings.
Louise Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun
About the Artist:
Louise Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun was born in 1755 in Paris. She is one of the most well-known women painters from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She mostly painted other people, but especially women.
She painted these women in a way that shows their natural beauty, with minimal make-up and unkempt hair. Her paintigs were done in a style called ‘rococo’, which means it is very dramatic.
Vigée Le Brun is most known for being the portrait painter for former French Queen Marie Antoinette, before the French Revolution.
Her artwork can be found at many museums like the Louvre in Paris, the MET in New York City and the National Gallery in London.
Laura Wheeler Waring
About the Artist:
Laura Wheeler Waring was born in 1887 in Connecticut in the United States. She was first recognised for her artistic abilities while she was still in high school.
Laura Wheeler Waring was one of the first to show African-American art in an exhibition. She became an art and music teacher and later won a scholarship to study art at the Louvre in Paris.
Her work was a part of the Harlem Renaissance, which was the revival of African American culture during the 1920s and 30s in Harlem, New York. This was inspired in part by the Great Migration of people leaving the southern parts of America, which were still encouraging segregation.
Frida Kahlo
About the Artist:
Frida Kahlo was born in 1907 in Mexico. Frida was on the path toward medical school despite suffering from polio, a disease that caused her to have a disability. However, when she was 18, she was in a tragic bus accident. While she was getting better, she began painting and discovered her true passion was art!
She developed her style using inspiration from Mexican culture, and surrealism. Surrealism is when artists create things that don’t quite make sense, allowing the viewer to let their unconscious mind take over. Frida’s art gained a lot more attention after she passed away – it is now iconic in the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements.
Mickalene Thomas
About the Artist:
Mickalene Thomas was born in New Jersey in the United States in 1971. Mickalene was introduced to art in an after-school programme.
After struggling with her parent’s addiction to drugs and facing discrimination due to her sexuality, she went to university for art and used fashion as her inspiration. Mickalene’s art depicts Black women in a powerful and attention-grabbing way, often using many materials in her art such as rhinestones.
Her goal is to empower women and show off their natural beauty. Mickalene founded The Josie Club, which supports Black LGBTQ+ female artists.
These women artists spoke up about what mattered to them, using art to communicate. They were proud of themselves and their work, showing off their hard work in famous museums around the world.
They were often faced with setbacks, but kept trying and were able to use those hardships as inspiration. They tried new styles and techniques and were able to innovate the world of art.
They believed in their dreams and were able to make them come true, while making new friends of all kinds along the way.
-Maya Rai, Finance and Fundraising Intern
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