WOM-INSPIRED 2021 PRESENTS AN ART URBAN GALLERY, HONOURING HER-STORY AND IWD.
THE EXHIBITION BRINGS TOGETHER 30 FEMALE ARTISTS AND 30 ARTWORKS UNDER THE THEME INSPIRED.
ENSURING 100% OF SALES GO TO THEIR ARTISTS, YOU ARE ABLE TO BUY THE ARTWORK DIRECTLY USING THE ARTIST LINK THAT WILL REDIRECT YOU TO EACH ARTIST WEBSITE OR SHOP ONLINE.
THE EXHIBITION IS ALSO LAUNCHED OUTDOORS AT BRIXTON VILLAGE COURTYARD,
FROM 6TH OF MARCH UNTIL 12 OF APRIL.
VAN JIMMER
@VANJIMMER
I painted this piece after watching a film and subsequent TV show called This is England. It’s a grizzled, bleak depiction of lives that are sobering and true to real life, but it is also a beautiful and heartfelt portrayal.
This character Lol has been through the ringer but her character is tough but calm, straightforward, authentic and honest. Films and TV can attempt to glorify “the strong female” making their characters caricatured and without real dimension, but director Shane Meadows is a good example of an effortless portrayal of nothing more than a good character, without needing to make strength or femininity the dominating case in point, the character just is and the truthfulness of the role lingers with you. I highly recommend anyone to watch the Film as a prior and the TV series which focuses on this particular character.
Akit
I am an artist and graffiti writer living in Harlesden, London. Eclectic, bright and bold, I mostly portray the female form and cityscapes in my illustrations, and as I have been a graffiti writer for 30 years, I feel it’s important as a female to represent this art form.
My ‘Inspired’ image is a somewhat idealised version of myself. But essentially it represents my never diminishing enthusiasm for graffiti and art. One of the few benefits of the pandemic is that circumstances have forced me to become a full-time artist, which I may not have had the guts to do otherwise. I feel my art career has taken an extraordinary turn and my potential inspires me greatly.
Lours
@REAL_LOURS
MAMA NATURE
"From the beginning to the end,
SHE,
impregnated by the DNA of the Universe
constantly growing and changing,
Mama Nature exists in each one of us.
Without Her we could not exist....
I have been influenced by Her unique and original beauty,
She is the strongest,
She resists all attacks and evolves before any problem....
WE ARE PART OF HER AND SHE IS PART OF US."
Tash
THE FIRE THAT ROARS DEEP WITHIN
Biological forms do not depict what being a wxmn is.
Like breathing life into the fire, all that it truly required to feel feminine energy is being there to witness it. It’s all around. Some will identify and feel it’s profound sense more than others. To some she roars, to some she is an ember that glows and purrrrrrrs within the depths of their being.
Like flames dance and play softly as they touch the air, these fluid formations do not hold an agenda or binary. The elements allow it to exist.
Don’t try to contain or control another’s fire... and see how much brighter they glow when you do so.
Michelle meola
@MICHELLE.MEOLA
Berta Caìceres is one of my original environmental heroines. She was a Honduran environmental activist who was murdered in 2016 for opposing the Agua Zarca dam.
Berta fought for justice for the indigenous Lenca people, she advocated for the rights of women and her community building work was a vital part of her environmental activism. In 2015 she won the Goldman Environmental Prize, where she said: “Let us build societies that are able to coexist in a dignified way, in a way that protects life. Let us come together and remain hopeful as we defend and care for the blood of this Earth and of its Spirits.”
Her indomitable spirit to fight against social and environmental injustice remains a continual inspiration, I wanted to honour her for this exhibition.
Elno
WOMEN WISDOM
“Her soul is Fierce
Her heart is Brave
Her mind is Strong.”
(r.h.Sin)
This piece represents the inner strength that inhabits every woman. The wisdom that is passed from generation to generation, the inner warrior that has been fighting for her own freedom and the collective unconditional love that we as women have growing in our center of creation, the womb. I wanted to express the admiration that I have for all my sisters, the immense learning that I gain from them and the great inspiration that they all bring into my life, believing enormously that we can empower each other and work together for a better world.
Oneslutriot
The Picasso quote 'art is done not to decorate apartments – art is an instrument of war' best illustrates Oneslutriot’s current practice. In last years she has created a number of large-scale paintings and drawings as an artistic mirror of current crises, alongside co-curating and producing events and festivals for politically and socially conscious art.
Oneslutriot’s Archie Boii is her newest piece, part of a series which depicts the desires of fellow feminists. Her newest series of paintings & drawings explore erotics, intimate moments, fetish, submission / dominance and taboo. This specific piece is a view of empowerment through the act of submission, often wrongly seen as exploitation, and depicts a woman puppy player who is consciously and openly choosing to such as her heart desires.
Levi Naidu Mitchell
@LEVINAIDUMITCHELL
This piece displays the Rasta flag and a woman in carnivalesque attire; it is fundamentally inspired by my ancestry, my passion for carnival and to honour the women in my family. When feeling lost or uprooted, I think of my homelands, Grenada and Dominica, my grandparents and their legacy. When seeking solace and peace, I imagine the islands and I remember my time there, holding the promise of one day returning close to my spirit to keep me strong. Last but not least, when I am in need of elevation and purpose, I relive my experience of the Notting Hill Carnival. I dance through the streets over and over again, feeling the freest I have ever been.
Curiouser & Curiouser
@CURIOUSER.AND.CURIOUSER3
MY SPIRIT GUIDE
There is a Lion roaring inside me. This Lion wants to wake me up, to remind me that I am a sunflower, I will always follow the sun, and one day, I will finally find my magic paradise. It will take time and courage but will find my way.
You only live once, the day you left home you already started your journey.
JELLY
@JELLYJARTIST
SPIRITUAL AURA
Featuring DJ Rap, a tribute to the djs getting us through. Music is healing to our mental and physical health. Chronic illnesses meant I shielded alone for 4 months in the first lockdown, I was petrified for the first 2 days. Then I turned off the news and Wi-Fi, and turned up the artwork, music, virtual raves and dancing, thanks to the likes of DJ Rap and I emerged more awake than I went in. Music repairs motor and cognitive function, reduces stress hormones and pain. Ancient Egyptians built huge healing sound wave chambers in pyramids. Creativity, be it music, art or dance is powerful, keep those vibrations high people and keep inspired.
Sweetheart
@SWEETHEARTSTREETART
GODDESS
(A2 Acrylic on Canvas)
Inspired by the mamas, the nurturers, the lovers, the women.
A spiral goddess is a symbol for the divine mother. She represents fertility and feminine power. Her spiral travels from the grounding root to the emotional sacral chakra, expressing the flowing nature of her creativity and sexuality.
The blood moon shows the power of the sacred life cycle. A vibrant external and internal light and a balancing source of pure energy at the heart of everything.
This painting is inspired by varied artistic, cultural and spiritual concepts of strong earthly and ethereal women and above all, inspired by the magic, spirit and strength of my real life goddesses.
VES
@VES.ART
INSPIRED
Although I felt I missed a lot of things during this year of the pandemic and the months spent in the solitude of my studio, the most compelling has been the simply absence of the human touch. I also felt it was a very collective yearning, a lot of people seem to be going through exactly the same thing. Which motivated me to paint this series called ‘Embrace’. A reminder that we aren’t experiencing the world merely as an individual but there are shared experiences as humans which makes us feel more powerful in crisis we go through together. The simple acknowledgement that we aren’t alone in darker times is a hopeful one.
DMT
@DMTART
BACKLIGHT
Oil & Acrylic on paper
15x21 cm
The subject exists thanks to the game of lights in the background .
It is a simple expression of how working with lights and shadows you can bring to life images that would otherwise go unnoticed.
The portrait aims to exalt the connection between the source of light and the woman.
NIC MAC
INSPIRED
There will be nothing until you make it,
and inspiration's there to take it.
I was twisted into knots,
with all that I forgot,
we're here and then we're not,
So draw and never stop.
She
@SHESHEGABOR
LADYCAN
When I first got into graffiti there were hardly any other females in the scene and I wanted to stand out with a feminine tag (She) and a feminine style and create art which was unashamedly female, cute and kawaii.
Ladycan is my own creation and subverts the typical masculine iconography of a spray can into something cute, girly and strong.
Maria linares freire
@marialinaresfreire
www.circle-arts.com/maria-linares-freire
https://twitter.com/marialinaresfreire
https://m.facebook.com/LinaresFreire
ONE
The first atom in women's creation. When the universe made us out of stars giving us consciousness, love and the energy of nature.
We are all equal, we are all entangled.
Carleen de sözer
@CARLEENDESOZER
AMAZING GRACE
I call this painting “Amazing Grace (fashion muse supreme)” because obviously Grace Jones is undeniably amazing. I have found the icon fascinating since I was a very young girl. In the 80’s Grace was everywhere, she was an actress, a singer, a high fashion model, a style icon to many...in fact at her age now of 72 she still is all of these things. Grace Jones shows no signs of slowing down or even aging, she still looks amazing! She is amazing, she is AMAZING GRACE inspiring a whole generation to be bold and fierce. Life's a stage and Grace taught me how to strut across life’s stage fearlessly.
7th pen
SHE BURSTS
This artwork ‘She Bursts’ epitomises how I feel when I’m inspired, it hits you like a streak of light from a sun beam. It bursts from my mind with intangible force and ungraspable imagination, trying to trap the ideas before they float away.
7thPencil’s style is a combination of graphic images, patterns, often bright colours and many layers. Attention grabbing and vivid.
Building composition from collated photography and patterns that create a sense of being overwhelmed. These compositions, layered often create an intense vision of the subject from the artist point of view. The work explores mental health issues such as confusion in feeling overwhelming emotion, dealing with human connections and what expressions can say to individuals viewing them.
NEONITA
GREEN TARA
Needing healing and hope from this crazy world we are in
I searched to find a subject to paint.
I found Green Tara or maybe she found me….
She is perhaps one of our earliest feminist figures that is still revered to this day. In one story which highlights this she was told by monks that in order to progress to enlightenment she should pray to be reborn as a man. She then proceeded to pray to come back as a female Bodhisattva (Buddah) for all eternity until samsara is no more. This resulted in her becoming the Goddess Tara.
She offers Healing and Compassion to all beings suffering in both mental and physical forms.
APPARAN
@APPARAN
WILD
"Be wild. Be outrageous. Be anything but normal. Be a sea of magic in a world full of deadened eyes." The Better Man Project
Who hasn't ever felt wild or like going wild? When inspiration comes to you, this is one of the feelings you get.
It's wild times too. Here we see Apparan, in her new body of work, exploring the concept of inspiration during the wild times of the pademic. A time of reflection, necessary solidarity and unity when we had to keep apart. A time of frustration, isolation and impotence....enough to make anyone mad. Rebel and being wild is, according to Apparan, vital to keep sane.
Pixie
This painting symbolises my womb as my creativity, where all the seeds of inspiration come to life.
ALETHEA
@ARTALETHEAART
MY MOTHER
Medium - Pencil and Charcoal
A woman that inspires me is my mother. She came from Jamaica when she was 16 and trained to be a nurse. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I fully understood what she went through as a working mother in the NHS. She worked hard for the NHS for 32 years and sacrificed for her family to work the unsocial hours and put up with situations because of her race and gender. Prior to Covid she suffered a stroke. She has maintained that resilience and strength that has inspired her husband, daughters, grandchildren and wider family and friends. This piece is based on a photograph of my inspiring mother in her uniform. I know she is one of many inspiring women who are unsung heroes.
CLAIRE RYE
@PANDAS_JAMS
THE DEEP POOL OF INSPIRATION
Inspiration is where art is born but where does inspiration come from?
It may seem like it comes from nowhere- maybe, but for me inspiration comes from the soul place, the place we come from before birth. The radiance. We can remember and connect with this place through creative processes. Being inspired can bring you to extraordinary places that previously, you hadn’t thought possible. The mysterious forms in this piece represent the cosmic birth of ideas and soul, accessed by our creative form. The Kāruhiruhi takes me there.
This is inspired by an article I read recently by John Holt.
Holt, J. (2019) The Art of Flow, Creative Arts Education and Therapy- Eastern and Western Perspectives. Vol 5, Issue 1.
JANE MUTINY
THE YEAR OF THE CORVID
I have always been interested by the natural world, with my focus in recent years being on endangered wildlife and extinction. Underpinning this interest has always been a love of birds, and a very particular love of Crows.
When I undertook my Art Foundation Course in 2003, I discovered the world of poet Ted Hughes and the mysterious Crow character he created. I now find myself rediscovering this dark world, and my fascination with this ubiquitous yet enigmatic bird, both real and imagined.
My linocut features Crows as they tumble across the sky in an animated, erratic and inky negative space. This piece marks the start of my journey into a deeply personal artistic exploration into the world of Crows during 2021; The Year of Corvid.
GIUSI TOMASELLO
ELPIS (Goddess of Hope)
(Colour pencils and Japanese watercolour on paper, A3 size)
Fauna and Flora are my favourite inspiration in particular in those lockdown times where cities like London look grey and empty of beautiful energy. Gives me hope and joy to draw natural elements like sunflowers because are symbol of happiness, optimism, longevity, love and loyalty. The macaw parrot represents summertime, fertility, and healing. Nature in its integrity feels warm and release plenty of positive and healthy energy.
FRANKIE STRAND
EDEN’S ARRIVAL
This painting was done when I found out (during lockdown) that one of my closest friends was expecting a baby. I wanted to create a painting that signified the joy and innocence of childhood, and expressed warmth & support from all around. I wanted to frame the composition with various animals & plants, signifying the support and love of friends & family, and the evolution of life- unfurling like the ferns in the foreground. There are many inspirations to be found in this picture- from other artists' that have influenced my style, to plants I've seen in tropical places, animals I find interesting & painted details that perhaps only other artists would notice. I also enjoyed injecting a bit of humour- giving the 'father' monkey a slightly frightened expression! Overall, for me this painting encapsulates a lot of love and consideration for painting and the process itself.
LESPLEEN
Lespleenart sees the purpose of her work as an unconventional approach to the deep meaning of ‘life’ (as the whole). She explores women who fight relentlessly to protect their environment from the brutal exploitation of other humans. Protectors, lovers, warriors and charismatic beings. She explores the feminine identity in relation to masculinity represented by imperial masks and colours. The psychedelic and futuristic insights influence her approach to reflect and share deep observations of the relationship between women and men. Nevertheless, how this intimate connection can bring to a spiritual future evolution of human civilisation. If cooperation and understanding for one another is developed, shall we have hope for a brighter future?
LAYLA COPE
@LAYLAS.MURALS
FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
Media - spray paint and Acrylic
Female Hyenas are the leaders of the packs,having 3 times more testosterone in their bodies, making them the main hunters too. Even the baby girl cubs rule over the boys.
I wanted to paint a female Hyena to symbolise the strength we have when working together, building each other up instead of knocking each other down as sadly I am seeing this more and more, through my work with younger girls. The effect of social media pressure is devastating. I hope that we can combat this by showing women supporting women through the Wom Collective.
We have strength as a collective.
GROWN
@GROWN.LDN
My name is Emily, a street artist and illustrator under the name GROWN.
My submission for this project is inspired heavily by colour, beauty and femininity.
I love to draw on mysticism and spirituality in my work- my characters always feature a third eye. The female face is a running motif in my work, and encompasses the natural world too, studying flowers and their fleeting beauty. I chose Camellias for this piece, as they are one of the few flowers to bloom in winter, providing pollinators with food after a season of scarcity. Camellias also tell us that spring is arriving- signaling rebirth.
PARTICLE WAVE
@PARTICLE.WAVE
DRAGON
The dragon represents TaiChi which has been inspiring me in many ways recently. TaiChi blends female (yin) and male (yang) elements in the steps and movements. The yin bits are more sophisticated, more complex, require more skill and finesse than brute force and I think this translates to life and really describes the way women are and their strengths. It also makes you think more deeply about these qualities and make the best of them. Through various exercises TaiChi helps gain more confidence and control over your body, making you strongly grounded in order to perform beautiful movements. It teaches meditation, balance and helps with finding that warrior spirit within.
