History is filled with the lives of women who had to overcome endless obstacles to pursue their dreams. Think of the countless female writers who had to adopt male pseudonyms to be published, like George Eliot or the Brontë Sisters. There are stories of women who had to actually dress and behave like men to do something different from being housewives. Even worse, the cases of women who didn’t care about what people said and embarked in an endless war with power and ended up destroyed by a male-dominant society who wouldn’t accept the idea of a woman being successful. As much as I would love to say that these attitudes towards women have disappeared with the passing of time, the truth is that even today women are being judged and diminished for doing things society thinks they shouldn’t be doing. Although we’d love to think we’re living in a free world, the truth is we’re not. You don’t have to think about extreme cases like Chechnya, where gay people are being persecuted and imprisoned, nor the shameful cases of femicide all over the world. Think on more everyday terms, like social media, for instance. Almost every day people judge and digitally stone people who don’t act according to the established social norms. The internet has given us a new tool to express everything we want, without having to face anyone or anything, not even the consequences of our actions. The screen has become a shield where we can hide, justifying ourselves with the idea of “freedom of speech”. These ways of conducting make us “braver” when it comes to giving an opinion. In the same way, these “open” platforms have become the most conservative spaces. In that way, censorship and banning are the new inquisitors that lurk social media to see what should disappear according to strict morals and values. Of course one of the most censored things are images of female nudity. Because, yes, a pair of boobs is extremely offensive and damaging. Fortunately, there are artists who don’t care about these moral views and use social media to promote their work, which encourages female empowerment and freedom. Laura Callaghan
@lauracallaghanillustration
With fierce characters, Laura Callaghan uses watercolors and black ink to depict women’s reality. With her characteristic style and strokes, she endows her protagonists with strong features, showing the everyday struggles women go through to fight for their rights. Her illustrations are tough and show that when we’re determined to accomplish something, no one nor anything will stop us.– Kristen Liu-Wong
@kliuwong
Through neon and bright colors, Kristen Liu-Wong creates a fantastical world where the grotesque, violent, and erotic are used to portray the world a woman lives in. Her illustrations, made with gouache, mix femininity and innocence with strange eerie imagery to criticize violence and gender inequality. The contrasts between these themes create a shocking effect on the spectator and invite us to meditate on these issues.– Polly Nor
@pollynor
Polly Nor became famous on Instagram thanks to her intriguing illustrations of women and demons. With a characteristic style, this British artist shows the demons living inside every woman. In a strange cohabitation, both, demons and women satirically show some of the most common ideas people have about femininity and stereotypes.– Robin Eisenberg
@robineisenberg
Famous for her bright illustrations set in the outer space, Robin Eisenberg creates illustrations of alien women living in their own and unique world. Her work is characterized by the use of pop elements to show her vision of modern life. Moreover, she uses her alien characters to worship and honor women and their fight to pursue their dreams.–
These artists found in art a way to criticize and show their position regarding gender inequality and the common attitudes towards women who pursue their dreams. Through bold and audacious illustrations, they’re constantly fighting against the censorship of women’s nakedness because it’s perceived as offensive. Instagram has become such an essential tool for our generation. However, while it can be used as a platform to raise our voice and show our ideas about the world’s issues, it has also been conceived by many as their only way of social life. So, how do you use this app?