A special ‘thank you’ to the following artisans: Presyiana Pavlova, Georgina Docherty, Emilian Dobre and all the artists who allowed me to use their beautiful artwork, to create my biggest project yet. Without your help and support ‘Artisan Woman’ would have never meant as much as it means for me now. Thank you for restoring the confidence in me, thank you for giving me a manifesto to believe in.
All the love,
Ioana
origins acceptance your place is in the resistance multilingual celebration of youth self-love
Boys and boys and girls and girls sisterhood empowerment bold&strong I LOVE this wind of change BIG ideas equality you were wild once don’t let them tame you
DIVINE
freedom to be you passion for arts
equality bare-faced FEMALE IS HERO dreams never underestimate the power of a woman
ethnicity you’ve got a sweet voice child confidence revolution our time is NOW manifesto
dont be delicate, be brave and brilliant we were dancing like we’re made of starlight visionary feminism from lovelessness to loving
3 Editor’s letter 5 Manifesto 7 Lvurena 11 Yohei Horishita 19 Frances Cannon 23 Quinn Rockliff 27 Sunlight is my favourite colour 29 Bare-Faced Beauty 33 Full Heart Zine 37 Ashley Lukashevsky 41 #DrawmeTyler 45 Resistance
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I am a pendulum between masculine and feminine’ grace
I am vibration, energy, omnipresent and truly free. I am courageous, I am wild, I feel, I see and I desire; I am the womb that's giving birth To beauty wrapped in golden power.
Blindfolded tight and armed with swords and balance,
The Chosen to break down the command. I am Themis’s unborn child, I only love with no division, We’re all allowed to be ourselves.
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Artwork by Laurena
Laurena is the kind of artist that truly embodies the phrase ‘the future is female’. The young Haitian creative is using her illustrations as a tool to empower other women of ethnicity like herself. The magic of her artwork lays in the motif of ‘sisterhood’ - a valuable lesson that she’s passing along with every single drawing. Your work is purely inspiring and so kind. Tell us more about it. What does it represent to you? Art for me is just a simple way to avoid reality without having to use anything drastic instead. I’ve never really lived life without it. It’s been a part of me for as long as I can remember. Through my art I also try to empower other women of colour like me; I think that because I’m so focused on making other women feel better about their beauty, I’m starting to feel better about my own insecurities. It’s really therapeutic.
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Every inch of you is proud of your heritage, moreover you cultivate it in everything that you create. Talk about your cultural background and the girlhood within the WOC community. I was born and raised in Canada, following a Haitian set of values, inherited by my mother and my grandmother. Those two women made me who I am today. If it wasn’t for their constant encouragement and belief in my craft, I don’t think I would’ve ended up doing art ;that’s why one of my biggest wishes is to share and pass their legacy along. Despite all of that, it took me a long time to fully learn to love my culture and who I really was from earlier in my teenage years.I remember constantly feeling like I wasn’t fitting in the spectrum of beautiful, even within my own community. Young black women don’t only have to deal with being excluded by other races because of their ‘’unique’’ traits but also by their own people.
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I find it ironic how the black community is so heavily divided on trivial things such as skin colour. Light skin vs dark skin has always been a fiery debate in our community which has caused me a lot of anxiety while growing up around other WOC’s. It felt like we were always in competition against each other when all I ever wanted is to be part of a more positive environment, where we can all develop at our own terms. That’s why I think Girlhood within the WOC community is so important to me. We have to keep it alive. Your activism on protecting other cultures’ set of values is remarkable. What’s the concept behind your new project ‘Not your fetish’, focused on East Asian women? In this world where everything has become black or white, we often forget that not all of us fit in those two categories. Paradoxically enough black people are probably the most visible minority in the media. We have Instagram pages dedicated to us, we have a month to celebrate our history- we even have a TV network. Is it enough? Obviously isn’t! But compared to what other minorities are going through I’d do anything to use this slight privilege to share their stories. ‘Not your fetish’ talks about the sex industry of today and how women,especially east asian women,are often objectified in terrible ways in the media but also in everyday life.I want to speak about it because it became such a huge injustice towards women and their bodies.It’s unacceptable.
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Artwork by Laurena
Your subjects are always women- What does inspire you about women in particular? What does beauty mean to you? It doesn’t really have to do with inspiration but more like being a woman in general. I think it’s natural for me to try and understand myself better, by studying the female anatomy. It’s so beautiful and it never ceases to impress me whenever I create something new. Beauty is very abstract to me. I believe there’s beauty in absolutely everything, we just need to look for it and not let previous experiences cloud our judgement. How do you see your art evolving throughout the years? What do you want to leave behind with your work? A lot of people want to have kids and have them as their legacy. But kids just share your DNA and your blood. They’re not you, they’re just a part of you. I think my art is the only way for me to really leave something behind that captures exactly who I am as a person. I don’t like to think about the future but I’d hope for my art to keep inspiring other WOC’s. Last but not least, what’s your advice for young individuals from all around the world? Just be unapologetic, life is too damn short to feel guilty to live it the way you want to.
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Artwork by Yohey Horishita
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Yoheyy Horishita Yohey Horishita
Yohey Horishita is a unique illustrator, homegrown in the deep south of Japan, where the accent is crowded, the sunshine is ever golden, and the hospitality is always as warm as its habitant’s heart. Yohey’s intricate sense of shape and colour gives him the ability to not only create exquisite art but also tell some of the most beautiful stories in illustration.
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Welcome to Artisan Woman, Yohey. Introduce your lovely self to us. Hello. My name is Yohey Horishita and I’m a freelance illustrator and an instructor at a local art school in New York City.
Is very uplifting to see such unique aspects of the Japanese culture deeply rooted in your illustrations. Talk to us about this inventive assembly that’s between you and your heritage. I’m Japanese, but blood-wise, I’m half Korean - half Japanese. Because my childhood was strongly influenced by the Korean side of the family, whom were part of a very conservative Christian household, I’ve never really experienced traditional Japanese activities or rituals, but still, I inhaled my Japanese-ness unconsciously. Both of my heritages are a solid part of how I function as an artistic being but I’m more attracted to my Japanese side, because when I was reintroduced to it by my peers at university, I felt like coming home from a long journey. My Japanese origins fit so naturally within my artistry that they come out on paper without even me thinking about it.
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Each one of your illustrations seem to have a story behind them; it’s like they’re pages pulled out from a book. How do you come up with all your artistic concepts? My goal is to tell a story with everything that I create so, I’m really happy you’ve noticed it. My artistic concepts emerge from articles, photographs, architecture or simply other stories that I’ve heard. When it comes to conceptualize my illustrations, I try to see the subject matter through an imaginary kaleidoscope - I believe this ability, of seeing countless different glittery lights from one solid reflection, is simply the most powerful and beautiful aspect of the creative world. What’s the best thing about being an artist? Certainly getting trained to be ME. Being an artist is not just creating art and having fun, it’s a job and it requires a lot of WORK. When I first moved to USA, I had to deal with a lot of rejections, battles and struggles, but all of these humbled me and kept me going. As much as it gets harder to be an artist sometimes, it never stops from being beautiful and rewarding.
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love pas
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passion
Artwork by Yohey Horishita
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Frances Cannon and Quinn Rockliff have dedicated their drawing talents to proudly celebrate women’s bodies and their universal uniqueness by depicting an honest and perfectly-imperfect image of them. The two creatives hope that their illustrations will inspire us to feel comfortable and empowered in our own bodies, without giving into all the pressures to ‘fix’ ourselves to appeal to society’s prefabricated ideals of beauty.
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Self Love “You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you, but if you -yourself- don’t know it, all of that doesn’t even matter. Every second that you spend on doubting your worth, every moment that you use to criticize yourself; is a second of your life wasted, is a moment of your life thrown away. It’s not like you have forever, so don’t waste any of your seconds, don’t throw even one of your moments away.” C. JoyBell C.
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Artwork by Frances Cannon
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Frances Cannon
We’re honored to welcome you into the artisan world of Frances Cannon; a self-love warrior from Melbourne, Australia. Her unapologetic art work, starring women campaigning for respect, have inspired in a kindly and forgiving way millions of young females from all around the world. 20
self l ve
club Frances! What a lovely name. Tell us more about you. Where did you grow up? Hello artisans and thank you, I think my name captures my personality quite well. I grew up in Thailand. My parents moved to Thailand for work when I was 9 months old (they still work there to this day). Growing up as a Third Culture Kid had a big impact on my life and it helped me learn empathy and love for people through all walks of life. I moved back to Australia when I was 19 for university and I love it here.
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When did you start drawing? I’ve been drawing my entire life. I started drawing when I was about 2 or 3 years old and I’ve been obsessed with creating ever since! I fell in love with drawing the first time I ever picked up a crayon and drew on the dining room wall. For everybody who hasn’t been introduced to your work yet: What are you speaking about in your art? A big part of my art focuses on the female anatomy and psyche, particularly on body and fat positivity. Most of what I create is based on my life experiences and my memories. In my work I’m exploring the idea of exalting the human body but I’m also trying to open conversation around the themes of body-love and body-loathing, anxiety, relationships, sex and sexuality, gender, and bodily functions. What inspires you the most in your creative process? I’m constantly inspired by this daily life that we call ‘human experience’ and by the human body in general - I just love it . I’m also inspired by feminist ideas and current sociocultural movements such as the ‘Woman March’ etc. How did ‘Self Love Club’ begin? What’s the concept behind it? The ‘Self Love Club’ started as a personal tattoo on my arm. I first had the idea when I drew ‘Self Love Club’ as a tattoo on one of my drawings. I then asked my friend Gemma Flack (who is also an artist and a tattoo artist)
to tattoo it on my arm. Finally, I posted my tattoo on Instagram inviting whoever wanted to ‘join the club’ to also get one. I was expecting only a handful of people to do it, but it became a movement! I am so proud of it and I feel so honored and lucky to have such a wide audience that connects to my work and everything I stand for. Here are the ‘Self Love Club’ rules: You must always show yourself respect, love, forgiveness and understanding. You must show each other respect, love, forgiveness and understanding. You must be kind to your body, and you must take care of your mental health. Join in artisans.
women, sex workers… Feminism is for ALL WOMEN. Before you’re gone. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists? Work hard! Apply for shows or zines or publications! You’ll get rejected sometimes but you just have to keep applying. Try and do something creative every day; whether that’s drawing in a sketchbook, taking photos on your phone, writing a poem on your phone, drawing on your iPad - anything that accesses your creativity. Don’t give up when you get discouraged.
Why is body positivity so important to you? Body positivity, particularly fat positivity, is SO important because we live in a society that teaches us that one kind of body is better than another. I draw fat bodies in positive and powerful ways to break the stigma surrounding fat bodies and to show bodies like my own in a beautiful way. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Yes, I am an intersectional feminist! I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and that we need to strive for equality, especially for those in our society who are put down; whether it’s because of their race, their gender, their weight or size, who they love, or how much money they have. Feminism is not only for middle-class white women. Feminism is for women of color, transgender women, non-binary and gender nonconforming people, poor women, women with disabilities, fat women, Islamic
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Artwork by Quinn Rockliff
Quinn Rockliff By appropriation of the meme “send nudes!� Canadian activist and artist, Quinn Rockliff, transforms intimate images of female bodies into delicate art. For almost two years, the young arts student is empowering women to feel beautiful and confident in their own bodies, whilst spreading awareness about digital security for the average internet user.
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Quinn,you’re one of the first artists I interviewed for ‘Artisan Woman’your art has a different energy from everything that I’ve seen before and it truly inspired me to feel more empowered about my body. Tell us about yourself.Who is the artist behind the art? That just warms my heart. Thank you so much for approaching me to be part of this amazing publication. My name is Quinn Rockliff and I’m originally from Toronto Canada. I began drawing in order to cope with my anxiety in High School and untangle the mess I found in myself. What does your artwork consists of? My work resides in loosely-drawn silhouettes of the female body — shared on social media platforms — meant to emphasize the acceptance of nudity and sexuality in a public way. What’s the story behind your first ever project, ‘Nude commissions’? In twelve grade, I had a boyfriend who threatened to leak my nudes for not replying to his texts. I was so baffled that someone thought they could use my own body against me that I decided to speak out about it and find a way to translate my trauma into something. So, I asked girls for nudes with hope that I could make them feel empowered by their own bodies and have the confidence to do whatever they want to do, as long as they feel comfortable with it.
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Artwork by Quinn Rockliff
Why did you choose Instagram as the platform to develop your artistic assignment? I chose Instagram to display artwork from ‘Nude commissions’ because this social media app has generated a very confused idea of the female body within our society . Is infuriating to scroll through your ‘explore page’ and ‘feed’ yourself with thousands of images of the so-called ‘Instagram models’- we don’t want to see only that; that is not necessary how a women should look like.I also chose Instagram because of their on-going policy that won’t allow us to post pictures of bare breasts.I believe everything we do should challenge our cause. What is your favourite part female body? What part will over and over again without getting bored of it? Collarbones. Belly buttons.
of the you draw ever Ears.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice someone ever gave you? My dad once told me to never stop learning, pursue what you want to pursue because if you’re good enough at it, someone will pay you to do it. He is always reminding me that to get good at something it takes 20,000 hours. The mentality that I am nowhere near my fullest potential is so exciting to me.
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Bare faced Beauty Sabrina Scott is a dreamy photographer based in Cape Town, South Africa. She shoots on 35mm film candid and untouched portraits of young women, hoping to inspire them to be self-assured and ignore others’ ideals of beauty. We combined her photography with poems written by three creatives, from different backgrounds of life, whom interpreted what it feels to wear nothing but yourself in beautiful and breath-taking stanzas.
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Emily Houghton
yes - bare face, warm embrace and the thrill of the chase, but you can’t replace her. summer love gets shorter as the days turn longer feelings strong, strong growing stronger as you wonder. she made you feel things, new things and question what can life bring you 30
Suzie Lemons 31
Bare-faced is how she makes me feel. It’s what her breath down my neck resembles, The gentleness her fingertips lay upon my porcelain skin, She is everything I’d always aspire to be, Unafraid. Bare-faced. Free.
Gemma Carine
I want the confidence, want the natural state, girls. Hair of clouds, lips of fire, eyes clear as water – brave girls. Think for yourself and lay it bare, do you hear me, girls? We are; The bare faced girls Standing proud, staying strong. 32
R ecommends
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For our first issue of Artisan Woman, we’ve joined forces with Full Heart zine, an indie publication that’s supporting young and talented girl bands, to craft you the best playlist of new and inspiring music. We were lucky enough to have a little chat with Meg Davies, the creative behind it all,who is a true believer of finding what you love and let it be a zine! Let’s break the mystery. Who is Meg Davies? Hello artisans. I’m a 22-yearold Fashion Promotion and Imaging graduate, and the editor behind Full Heart zine. In my spare time I take photos of pretty people and doodle funky illustrations. How did ‘Full Heart’ zine start? Full Heart originated as a university project for my final year but has quickly developed into something I really wanted to carry on working for. The zine is showcasing slightly unknown bands alongside media heavy material so it appeals to music-lovers as well as various creatives. Every issue is going to alternate between genders, but our debut issue is all about supporting sick girl bands, as there is a huge gap in every aspect of music promotion for women, which is a massive shame and something I’d love to help change!
Why a zine? I believe that a zine is the best way to communicate short but sweet information and I’m a sucker for illustrations and crafty artwork so it just worked better for me. I also think that small and cool zines are an important medium to share work. I really hope to turn ‘Full Heart’ into a promotional platform in more ways than just a zine, such as hosting gigs and managing small bands but I think this is a long way off.
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Ashley Lukashevsky and Tyler Feder use their artistic gifts and outspoken voices to raise awareness and fight back against social injustice, teaching us one of the most valuable lessons as young citizens - that we have the power to change everything.
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REACT “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth.� William Faulkner
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y k s v e h s a k u L y e l h s A
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Ashley is the Lady Justice, with a pen instead of sword and balance. Her biggest dream is to use design as a tool to strengthen social movements. Our young activist was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but she’s currently based in Los Angeles, California making a huge social impact in the editorial illustration scene.
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There comes
First of all, thank you so much for your kind words! I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii– which was really awesome looking back, but definitely boring when I was 18. I packed up and moved to LA, where I actually studied International Relations for 4 years. I think that looking critically at issues of human rights, gender, and sexuality through that lens strengthened my ability to speak about important topics through a visual medium.
What drew you into graphic design and illustration? My parents always encouraged me to draw and take art lessons as a child, and I would doodle everywhere. But when you don’t grow up with money, it’s a little more difficult to consider art as a realistic means of making money. I went on to study something “serious”, yet I was drawn into graphic design my senior year when I took a 2-unit elective course on Illustrator and Photoshop. Since then, I was totally addicted to figuring out how to create new things on these tools and haven’t stopped.
a time when
I just want to say that I love your work and I truly believe that you’re an empowering artist in every way possible. Invite us into your world, tell us the sort of stuff we would never guess.
On a personal level, how important is to embrace your heritage and love your origins? It is incredibly important to me to love yourself and everything that comes along with that– especially your culture and heritage. I am half Korean, half Russian and English. My identity is shaped by the experience of being mixed ethnicities– in Hawaii we call it hapa.
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When I was growing up (and even when I first moved to LA), I wished that I could blend in more with either side, and feel more of a sense of belonging. This past year, I visited Korea for the first time and was blown away by the beautiful art, language, and food of my ancestors. I don’t feel entirely Korean, and I certainly don’t look or feel White, but there is so much beauty in being hapa, and what that identity means for us kids who grew up in Hawaii.
You are young, passionate, intelligent and creative –basically the ideal activist. Discuss freely how important is to be aware and fight back for what you believe in. If we do nothing, we lose. It’s really as simple as that. Our liberations are all tied together. We cannot achieve women’s equality if we don’t tackle the beast of racism and intolerance. We cannot fight for women’s rights if we don’t stand up for our trans sisters and the appalling hate crimes that they face. Even if some issue doesn’t affect your own life personally, you know that it is hurting communities across America (and the world). Being aware is not enough, we need to fight for the lives of those who need support. I think that being an aware activist is really important– I would never want to take the mic away from creator and activists who are experiencing these issues firsthand. Tell us more about your dream of using design as a tool to strengthen social movements, because that’s one hell of an amazing dream to have these days. I used to think that you needed to be a lawyer or researcher or legislator to make a real difference, but I now know that without design, these reports, articles, etc. might not even be read by a broader audience. Humans are visual beings, and good branding and an interesting aesthetic can propel a movement forward. I want to help the movement I care most about– racial justice, women’s rights, climate change, reach the broadest audience possible.
silence
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What’s the best piece of advice you have for all the young females from around the globe? My advice for every femme out there is to love and appreciate yourself for the incredible individual that you are. You might not believe it, but you are wonderful and beautiful and capable of so much good. Media and the global patriarchy wants to convince you that you are not enough – don’t believe them. You have the power to be an advocate for yourself and strengthen the power of those fighting for their rights.
betrayal 40
#drawm 41
metyler Tyler Feder - at heart a woman of wonders - decided to turn her post-election blues into something beneficial. She started to draw faces of people who were feeling marginalized by Donald Trump’s win, in order to help them be seen and treasured. We really hope she never stops of making America a better place. Tyler for President! 42
Talk about #DRAWMETYLER. How did this whole project started? What’s the meaning behind it?
Hi Tyler. Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your background? What do you like to do on a sunny day? What’s your favourite word to use? Hello there beautiful people. My name is Tyler and I’m an illustrator and feminist based in Chicago, Illinois. I’ve been doing my art my whole life (I even finger-painted the invitations to my first birthday party!). I come from a big, loud Jewish family that loves to joke, so I like to incorporate humour into my art whenever I can. My two younger sisters are my best pals, and my cat is my sweet and unreliable assistant. On a sunny day, I love to sit by Lake Michigan and listen to a good podcast. My favourite word is “splendid” because it reminds me of Mary Poppins.
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My #drawmetyler project started when I was feeling completely miserable, the day after the 2016 US election. I also knew that even though I felt extremely defeated, being a white cishet middle-class woman, there were many people feeling even more vulnerable than I was, and I wanted to do something to lift their spirits a little bit. I decided to post a message on Instagram offering to draw marginalized people’s selfies for free if they tagged them #drawmetyler. As of today, over a thousand people have tagged their selfies, and I’ve drawn 100 portraits. I had no idea the project would catch on so quickly if I had, I would have chosen a more interesting hashtag ha-ha. What’s the best thing about being an artist? How do you keep your artistic drive flowing? The best thing about being an artist is being able to express myself every day. It feels so good to have an idea in my head and then see it realized on paper on a regular basis. I keep my artistic drive flowing by just living my life. Even the really bad days can inspire a drawing.
What’s your views on protesting? I think protesting can be a very effective tool to create change. It was amazing to see how people came together so quickly and powerfully after the “Muslim ban” in the US, and the women’s marches after Trump’s inauguration gave me goose bumps. I have an anxiety disorder that makes it difficult to be in big crowds, so I am not usually able to participate, but I make sure to do whatever I can from home to help the cause (like my #drawmetyler project and donating a portion of my proceeds to important charities). What do you think- Is ART a useful tool in developing ACTIVISTS? Definitely. Is scientifically proved that art has the ability to reach and connect people at very deep levels and instigate something inside them that nothing else could. Plus, these days artwork is a key element of social protests, it empowers people and it gives them a more of a reason to boycott. I love being able to use my art to give representation to people who aren’t often represented and to lift up the voices of people more marginalized than I am.
Artwork by Tyler Feder
What’s the best piece of advice you can give for all the young females out there? My advice for young women is to be gentle with yourself! Baby steps can add up to something big. What’s the future looking like in your perspective? Honestly, in the US right now, the future can look pretty bleak. But, I think the tiniest silver lining of Trump’s presidency is how strongly liberals are coming together to support each other and resist.
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Artwork by Alice Sknner
RESISTANCE RESISTANCE RESISTANCE RESIST
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RESISTANCE RESISTANCE
Artwork by Jenna Houston
A mini gallery supporting the art of our talented girls, Jenna Houston and Alice Skinner, whom use their illustrations as a social commentary on 21st century life.
ESISTANCE RESISTANCE
TANCE RESISTANCE RESISTANCE RESISTANCE
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Dear artisan, I hope you enjoyed the very first issue of ‘Artisan Woman’ and that you’ve found pieces of yourself in at least one, out of all the unique artists I’ve invited to be part of our world. I want to confess that putting together ‘Artisan Woman’ was by far one of the most creative journeys I’ve been on –a journey so wild and lavish, I had to throw away all the maps and compasses and find the destination on my own terms, by following my self-expression and imagination. Seeing issue one being printed was without doubt the highlight of my youth. No party anthem has ever made me dance as much as the sound of flickering through the pages of my first ever zine. It’s such a magical feeling. Let’s celebrate together.
Thank you for joining.
a little space for you to write your thoughts