Marina Perez Simão - Untitled
Following three sold-out years, UN Women UK presents a new limited edition by Marina Perez Simão “Untitled” for its fourth annual instalment of THE ART OF EMPOWERMENT.
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.
Simão says ” I am very honoured to be part of a project that strives for the wellbeing and freedom of women. My work is born from my own attempt to exercise freedom, so this project is very close to my heart. The fight to end gender based violence and all associated forms of abuse against women is a responsibility for us all alike. Collectively we should be engaged toward defending women’s rights to make their own decisions, and to live life to its full extent with dignity. At the core it is that very mindset that a better reality is always possible. It’s from that belief that freedom is born”.
Since August 15th 2021, the women and girls of Afghanistan have suffered a drastic roll-back of their basic human rights. The overwhelming majority of Afghan girls are prevented from attending high schools; the majority of Afghan women are prevented from going back to their jobs; reports are coming out of violent backlashes against women peaceful protestors. Women are denied freedom of movement and resources to protect them from gender-based violence – which is the highest in the world.
Proceeds from this work will go to support UN Women UK’s Appeal for Afghan women and girls. UN Women is now the only major organisation remaining on the ground in Kabul, supporting grassroots women’s groups as well as individuals in need. We will continue to stand by them, especially at this critical moment in history.
Marina Perez Simão
Untitled
2021
125 x 159 cm (49.2 x 62.6 in)
Silk Organza appliqué over Cotton Velvet, with Cotton Embroidery, Backed with cotton.
Edition of 30 + 2 Artist Proofs
PURCHASE YOURS
Every purchase of this work makes a huge difference to our work, ensuring support services, which are a critical lifeline for women who have otherwise been abandoned by governments and organisations alike, can continue to support those who need it.
Editions are available at £5,000 GBP each + 2% card fees.
Please click the buttons below to purchase yours online, or email us with any questions.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Photography by Bruno Leão
Marina Perez Simão has developed a working process based fundamentally on the accumulation and juxtaposition of memories and images.
By combining personal experiences and multiple references stemming from fields such as philosophy, literature, and journalism, the artist collects certain narratives in order to edit them through pictorial means that do not belong to any predefined language; rather, they develop with an organic practice, which combines thematic density and a delicate treatment.
Simão uses a variety of techniques, such as collage, drawing, and oil painting, as starting points in order to marry interior and exterior landscapes, she composes visual journeys that sometimes traverse the unknown, the abstract and the nebulous, but also include visions and memories.
Simão’s work is held in several public collections worldwide, including the Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne in France, The Ekard Collection in the Netherlands, and the Samdani Art Foundation in Bangladesh, as well as the Speed Art Museum in Kentucky and the University of Chicago in the United States.
More about UN Women's work in Afghanistan
Since August 15th 2021, the women and girls of Afghanistan have suffered a drastic roll-back of their basic human rights. The overwhelming majority of Afghan girls are prevented from attending high schools; the majority of Afghan women are prevented from going back to their jobs; reports are coming out of violent backlashes against women peaceful protestors. Women are denied freedom of movement and resources to protect them from gender-based violence – which is the highest in the world.
UN Women has been working for over 10 years in Afghanistan to:
- Run women and children’s protection centres, where survivors of abuse can urgently seek refuge, medical and psychological support
- Work with women lawyers and judges to provide legal aid in prosecution cases against perpetrators of gender-based violence
- Provide education and skill-building, including leadership training and coaching for women, and support to sell their produce
- Deliver workshops with grassroots activists, leaders, men and boys, to change perceptions around gender equality and ensure women have political and social rights
This may be the most urgent crisis for women’s rights in a generation. The new government includes no women, and reports of violence and oppression are already emerging from the country.
Women’s Protection Centres are absolutely critical to being able to continue administering support, a safe refuge, training and all of the above for the surrounding regions. It costs just £7,300 to keep one of these centres open for a month.