Why I Make Art About Women For Women
I make art for women because I want women to see themselves on the canvas. It’s about making space: space for women’s experiences, for their friendships, their struggles with identity, motherhood, and all the competing expectations that shape our lives.
My work is inspired by the feminist artists of the past who fought to redefine what art could be and who it could represent. But where they rejected traditional forms and ideals, my practice chooses to reclaim them.
For me, feminist art isn’t about exclusion or rejection. It's about inclusion and reclaiming beauty, tradition, and equality. I make art that is feminine, decorative, brightly coloured and unapologetically pretty. Art that inspires rather than intimidates, that provokes thought but also offers joy. This is my artistic manifesto.
As feminist writer Clementine Ford once said:
“I’m not trying to change men’s minds, I’m trying to talk to women. I write for women and I think that’s a beautiful thing to be proud of.”
I feel the same about my art.
Roots in the Feminist Art Movement
I find inspiration in the feminist art movement that began in the late 1960s amidst a broader social revolution against prevailing norms. Its purpose was to produce art that reflected women’s lives and experiences, while also bringing visibility to women within art history and art practice.
Trailblazers such as Yoko Ono, Vivienne Binns, and Judy Chicago pushed the boundaries of what was considered art. By embracing fabric, performance, video, and installation, feminist artists expanded the definition of art beyond the male-dominated mediums of painting and sculpture.
By rejecting traditional art practices that had long been the dominion of men, the feminist art movement sought to redefine not only the definition of art but also the canon’s very notion of beauty. Their boldness directly contributed to the rise of conceptual art in the late 20th century.
The feminist rejection of the “male gaze” challenged assumptions about beauty itself. What had once been seen as beautiful (often with the male viewer in mind) was overturned in favour of aesthetics that were confronting, bold, and unapologetic.
This expansion of what counted as art was revolutionary, but it also had unintended consequences. Figurative and oil painting, for instance, were often sidelined. Yet, for me, reclaiming these forms and reclaiming beauty through the female gaze is itself a feminist act.
Canvas print: Defensive Line
The Future of Feminist Art
As Rosemary Betterton noted in 2003, feminist art must adapt to newer forms of communication, as culture has changed significantly since the late 20th century. Social media has transformed how art is shared, consumed, and critiqued. The shock tactics of early feminist art may not resonate with today’s audiences, but the core message, challenging gender inequality, remains urgent.
A recent Artsy study highlights trends in 21st-century feminist art: works that appropriate classical masterpieces or canonical themes, only to subvert them with feminist ideals. These pieces often draw viewers in with beauty before exposing deeper critiques, a reversal of the earlier feminist rejection of beauty altogether.
The next wave of feminist art will merge tradition with innovation: oil paintings alongside digital media, classical narratives rewritten through feminist perspectives, and beauty reclaimed as a tool of resistance.
Much like vintage clothing, feminist art will continue to take what was once “invented by men” and remake it into something powerful for women. That’s where I hope to situate myself: a part of a lineage of feminist artists who question, provoke, reclaim, and inspire.
I paint for women, about women, and with women in mind. After all, a woman’s work, in art and in life, is never done.
