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What’s personal is political: these posters and graphic design by female artists show the power of the movement
In the context of International Women’s Day we give you a list of the women who excel in creating posters and graphic design with messages that reveal that feminism is gaining strength as an unstoppable phenomenon.
Feminist literature and philosophy gave us the works of Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, Virgine Despentes, Leonor Silvestri, among other women. The same thing happened in the world of art with artists who hoist the feminist flag as a tool of dissent and activism.
Rommy Sobrado-Torrico
Rommy is the founder of Nomada Graphics & Multimedia, a company founded in 2012 that specializes in graphic and advertising design. However, her company also works on making current social issues visible through design. These topics include feminism and social inequalities.
One of her pieces reads “Domestic workers lift up our families and our communities. Join the movement for its dignity, respect, and recognition.” Unpaid domestic work is an issue that was put on the table to fight for the fair pay of women’s work.
La Cingara
La Cingara is a graphic designer based in Madrid whose work, in its entirety, is dedicated to feminism. She designed posters for events such as Estrogenfest, L’APREM QUEER VOL. 5, Puwerty, New Day Rising. She also created an illustration for the 8M strike.
The image is the word Sororidad (Sorority), underneath it two female hands are intertwined as a symbol of unity among women. At the bottom of the image is the iconic date: March 8. Her style is unstigated, but with a concise narrative.
Haley Powers
Baltimore artist Haley Powers represents us in her illustrations of strong women. Her style is characterized by her striking colors and inclusive topics. For her, illustration is a savior in difficult times and it expresses what words can’t; this field is also a vehicle for social change.
In this sense, the designer’s illustrations are overwhelming and a strong message radiates from them: female empowerment. Or, as she defines it, her work is a “kick in the patriarchy’s shin.” And to prove it, just take a look at her body of work.
Holli Rae
Los Angeles-based artist and director Holli Rae has the ability to evoke emotions in each of her pieces. From an early age, she felt the responsibility to help amplify marginalized voices through the media with film and design.
Like the other artists in this list, Rae uses digital collage to push women to “keep fighting until we have healthcare and justice for all.” In the words of the feminist lawyer and black activist Flo Kennedy: “Don’t agonize, organize!”
These posters and graphic design remind us that women are more united than ever
Pomelo
The Barcelona-based artist Pomelo created a branding concept focused on “equality and ecology” as the motto of her brand. She specializes in illustration and T-shirt design. And, for this 8M, she proposes a forceful poster.
Thus, she recreated Botticelli’s classic painting The Birth of Venus where angels recite sexist speeches. In contrast, the illustration is framed by the phrase “Up to the shell of patriarchy,” alluding to being fed up.
Dia Pacheco
Dia Pacheco is a Mexican illustrator also known as Dia.blo whose inspiration springs from women representing history and music. Therefore, she creates her illustrations around the figure of women and their ability for empowerment through self-confidence.
Consequently, Pacheco’s poster reminds us of all the women who were victims of femicide. However, it also reminds us of the strength of all women who are raising their voices to demand justice and the end of gender-based violence.
WatMag
WatMag is a medium of creators who also joined the 8M protests with a series of works illustrating the most serious problems that contemporary women face. These include rape, harassment, kidnappings, femicides, mansplaining, etc. They do so from a critical but also hopeful perspective.
An example of this is this piece where we can see a woman screaming into a megaphone “Sister, I believe you.” It refers to the campaign of allegations that have been made by all the media and levels of society, where important media and cultural figures alike have been found guilty of harassment.
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
