10 Women Street Artists Who Embody Girl Power
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Street art has this particularity that it is very democratic. Indeed, anybody can decide to do it; poor or rich, educated or not, boy or girl. Unfortunately, like many other fields, the street art scene is still largely dominated by men and is often perceived as a boys club.
However, there are more talented women who leave their mark on the streets than you’d think! Especially since it is a world where the artworks takes precedence over the artists themselves and where many aliases don’t necessarily indicate the artist’s gender. It’s difficult to gauge how many of the public artworks in the streets are made by women.
While some choose to explore and celebrate their feminine side in their artworks or through their aliases, others use their art to raise awareness around feminist issues. Others go beyond gender, feeling their gender shouldn’t affect our perception of their art. Yet, they all are challenging the field’s stereotypes and breaking boundaries in their own way, simply by doing what they love.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, our team gathered this non-exhaustive list of 10 women who prove girls have their place in the street art scene. We hope that this small gesture will facilitate in commemorating women’s achievements in all fields and raising awareness for gender equality among the public.
1. Fafi
This French artist has made her mark quickly in the street art scene with her cartoonish, curvy and sassy girls, which she calls “Fafinettes”. Intended to be a little escape from reality, she has created “The Carmine Vault”, a whole imaginary realm for her fafinettes who now liven up the streets of several cities around the world.
2. MissMe
Activist and feminist, she named herself Miss Me to proclaim her femininity. Exploring issues of race, gender, society and class though her wheatpaste art, she celebrates the power and beauty of women from all angles. Her “artful vandalism” as she likes to call it can now be found all around the world, in the streets as much as in galleries.
3. Christina Angelina
This Venice-based visual artist, photographer and gallerist is known all over the world for her black and white, colour-accented, photorealistic portraits of women. From Berlin to New York City to São Paulo and many other cities, her detailed murals can be seen all over the world.
4. Faith47
As her alias announces, Faith47’s faith is an integral part of her life and her artworks. Inspired mainly by social realities of her home country, this South African woman is a self-taught street artist and graphic designer who explores universal themes, such as life, death, freedom, authority and respect.
5. Monosourcil
Relatively new to the street art universe, the Montreal-based artist has already created large-scale murals in her home-city and is only the beginning. With her street art, Monosourcil shares her caricatural vision of individuals in Occidental societies. All sporting unibrows, like her alias, her businessmen, robots, monsters and other creatures seem anxious and unfriendly, yet fascinating.
6. Kashink
Absurd and colourful four-eyed characters, whose gender and ethnicity are unclear—are Kashink’s trademark. Often sporting a drawn mustache, the Parisian-based artist is known for her interesting approach towards gender stereotypes.
7. MadC
Throughout twenty years of constant engagement with graffiti and street art, MadC has worked her way up from a teenager with a spray can to one of the world’s top street artists. Her most distinctive work is the mural entitled “700-Wall”, which extends up to 639m² along a railway line between Berlin and Halle. Created over a period of four months, this mural is arguably the largest in the world to be completed by a single artist.
8. Ness Lee
Greatly influenced by Japanese erotica, this Toronto-based artist and illustrator’s work is also very personal, almost autobiographical. Adding playful, sensual and humorous touches to her pieces, the Canadian artist sees her work as diary entries where she can express her feelings and thoughts. From paint, wood, ceramics, sculpture and textiles, she’s also very versatile.
9. Swoon
Known for her signature murals showcasing women made out of recycled paper, her work has also served a solo exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch, putting her on the map in early 2000s. Her wheatpasted artworks have been sending messages for world peace for over a decade.
10. MC Baldassari
Visual artist, designer, illustrator and more, this Montreal-based artist is very versatile. She discovered her femininity through her art by often portraying self-inspired women with a comic book aesthetic.
