Nasty Women
30 May - 18 August 2024
The Substation Billboard Gallery, Newport
30 May - 18 August 2024
The Substation Billboard Gallery, Newport
Nasty Women is a new series of drawings celebrating women in activism across time, place and movements by multidisciplinary artist Katie Sfetkidis. These works challenge historical notions of who is an activist by speaking up and speaking out from the outdoor Billboard Gallery at The Substation.
Nasty Women highlights the role of women at the forefront of political movements. Women are often spoken about as activists under the banner of "Women's Rights", however in Nasty Women Sfetkidis emphasises that women's roles in social justice movements are far more complex and intertwined. She celebrates this intersectionality by depicting women at the forefront of protests fighting for indigenous sovereignty, climate justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, and more.
This series of drawings are inspired by Sfetkidis' daily practice of documenting women fighting for justice across the world. The title, Nasty Women is borrowed from numerous placards in 'Women's Marches' across the globe. Nasty Women talk back! Challenging fixed notions of femininity, politics, Sfetkidis challenges preconceived notions of women's engagements with political movements with humour, passion and commitment.
Photos by Astrid Mulder