Ms. Red
Acrylic on canvas
Year: 2024
 
I started this painting at the opening of "SHE Art" at Streetart Norge 8th of march, where 30 female artists including myself exhibit artworks in 850kvm.
 
Catwoman is a strong female character in the male dominated world of superheros and villians (out of 7000 marvel characters only 31% are female), so I thought it was a good fit to paint her at the «SHE Art» exhibition reflecting the gender-gap in the artworld - that you might not be familiar with the extent of. 
 
This goes far back in history where women didn’t have access to academic art training and apprenticeships (Sotheby´s magazine 2018). The mother role has also been (and is) a barrier for the time-demanding art-practice and the academic and practical achievements bureaucratically needed to get acknowledged as an artist.  The statistics on gallery - museum - and auction representation is still ridiculously low for women, not to mention pricing. The most expensive painting ever sold by a female artist, does not even reach 10% of the most expensive painting sold by a male artist (Forbes, 2022). 
Read more about romen in art and statistics at «National Museum of Women in the Arts».
I think the unconscious illusion that male art is more valuable than women’s is a strong societal cultural heritage that not many are aware of. Awareness is key to change. The reason all famous artists of all times that we know mostly are men, is not that men are better at creating art than women. In fact, about 70% of all art graduates are female. 
 
Also men are trained their whole life to confidently take their place, whilst women often excuse their existence when approaching opportunities. So when women go excuse themselves for asking for representation, with a heavy cultural inherited higher odds of profitable return on investment on male art lingering above their heads, guess what often happens. 
 
I ask of you to notice the ratio between male and female artists at your next gallery/museum or auction visit, and question it if it is significant. Awareness and a large amount of small nudges in the right direction is what it takes to change. 
 
And for the record - I have nothing against men! I just wish for a society of equal opportunities for everyone - regardless of identitet details.
 
This sale goes through Streetart Norge, where it currently is located. 
 
*5% arttax is included
* Freight is additional (added in checkout)
* This orginal painting comes with a certificate of authenticity