The Art of Empowerment
Closing the gender gap through the power of art
A unique collaboration between creativity and cause. With limited-edition pieces from female artists supporting the empowerment of women around the world
Each year, the Art of Empowerment programme sees UN Women UK partner with leading women artists to create limited-edition textile works to help bring our mission to life.
These beautiful editions are created in textile and stitched fabric, to honour the timeless craft of women across cultures. Acting as a symbol and celebration of the work of women through the ages.
All funds raised from The Art of Empowerment collection go directly to UN Women UK’s Women’s Emergency Fund.
This creates the freedom and flexibility to act fast when crises such as Türkiye and Syria’s earthquakes strike, reaching women at the moment they most need support.
The Art of Empowerment programme was founded and directed by Maria Baibakova – art expert, activist, and Special Adviser on Arts & Philanthropy to UN Women UK – and creates the space for leading women-identifying artists and art lovers to create widespread change for women and girls across the UK and around the world
This is what happens when women come together
Each Art of Empowerment artist has a unique approach to their work. They’ll often draw inspiration from the experiences of women in our society and weave those stories into their pieces.
We’re proud to have such a strong link between women leading the way in the art world and our wider community of women leading the change towards gender equality for our society.
2023: Michaela Yearwood-Dan
‘You May Blame Aphrodite But I Can Only Blame You’ (2023) is Yearwood-Dan’s first foray into textile works.
The artist, who is known for her lush, brightly-hued paintings and ceramics, draws on a diverse range of influences throughout her practice, including Blackness, queerness, femininity, healing rituals, and carnival culture.
2022: Paulina Olowska
For International Women’s Day 2022, The Art of Empowerment commissioned Olowska to create a special edition in aid of its mission of supporting women involved in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine
Her realist paintings, drawings and collages borrow imagery from Eastern European and American popular culture. Creating a cross cultural reference that is evident throughout her practice
2021: Marina Perez Simão
Rooted in the natural landscape of her native Brazil, Simão’s luminous oil paintings pulse with a magnetic, musical, and hypnotic presence that makes the viewer’s eye dance
The proceeds from this work went to support UN Women UK’s Appeal for Afghan women and girls, amidst the drastic rollback of their human rights across the country
2020: Lakwena Maciver
Maciver’s bold and polychromatic work is informed by the use of decoration as a means of communication
Words and text are central to her art, used as both images and anchors of meaning – drawing upon her formative years in Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and her native city, London
The proceeds from Maciver’s piece went to UN Women UK’s Covid response work, providing emergency humanitarian support and ongoing community resilience to women around the world
2019: Jadé Fadojutimi
For the second year of the Art of Empowerment programme, we invited acclaimed artist Jadé Fadojutimi to create her first textile edition for us titled ‘Clustering Thoughts’
Inspired by concepts of identity construction and the restraints placed upon us by both society and ourselves, layers of ribbon and fabric emerge to create an emotive abstraction
2018: Tschabalala Self
In the original artwork – ‘Princess’ – created in 2017, Tschabalala Self explores the implicit politicisation and sexualisation of black bodies through a self-reflexive lens
Self deftly negotiates a variety of materials, utilising a lively range of textures and patterns to create her central figure
For the inaugural year of the Art of Empowerment programme, Self translated ‘Princess’ into a limited edition collection
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UN Women UK: the only organisation working towards gender equality at all levels, in all areas of society
Right now, we’re facing a 300-year wait for gender equality. Women’s rights are being abused, threatened, and violated around the world. Progress won over decades is vanishing before our eyes
Here at UN Women UK, we’re combating this through collective action at all levels of society – from governments to corporates, communities to individuals. We’re here to ensure that every woman and girl has access to safety, choice and a voice. In the UK and around the world.