“Sof sof” – finally – female artists are receiving the recognition they deserve. Yet, after centuries of being grossly underrepresented in the art world, women could still do with a leg up. Here are three up-and-coming female artists to know now – while you can still afford to
1. The Alien Perspective
Elena C. Stein is a quirky painter and illustrator who was born in Milan, raised in London, and now lives in Tel Aviv, or, in her own words “on a crazy little planet called Earth.” For reference, Earth is “the blue one with the feisty hairless apes.” Working under the alias ‘The Alien Perspective,' Stein dives into a variety of mediums, from paper to street art, to pixels and poetry. The result is a motley crew of deeply emotional works. “I am not interested in empty trends…To make art you have to put the mask down, undress, and make yourself vulnerable. Allow yourself to be hurt, to be naked. It's not about fixing your holes. It's about making them beautiful.” thealienperspective.com
2. Efrat Hakimi
Efrat Hakimi was not always an artist, but she was always aware of her status as a women. Starting out as an engineer, she was “always a minority,” and found that, although women were not a minority in the arts, she experienced “the same struggle.” These definitive experiences inspired her voice; “Being a woman in the world is at the core of my work.” For the past two years she has worked on paintings, installations, and collage from her studio, which is actually a bomb shelter: “it is a big, isolated, and affordable space.” Using color, material manipulation and humor, her “provocation of existing systems of reference, and redefining all things as female,” has earned her well-deserved local acclaim. efrathakimi.com
© Efrat Hakimi
3. Murielle Street Art
Murielle Cohen was born in Canada and, after stints in Paris and New York, is now based in the White City. While it was Henri Matisse’s initial works that first inspired her to create—“I saw how a few strokes of charcoal made a face come to life” – Tel Aviv inspired her to take to the streets. Adorning the city’s walls with Hollywood pinups and 3-D collages addressing current topics like technology, Murielle’s works compel passersby to examine themselves and society. “I feel like I am representing Tel Aviv, and that makes me very proud. The vibrant streets and movement give me life, as I give them color.” muriellestreetart.com