Nocturnal Issue IV | Page 108

SONIA BOYCE •

British Afro Caribbean born 1962. Now working as a professor at Middlesex University. Previously created paintings and multi-media pieces. Her works explore positions of black women in Britain. Making these experiences visible was her concern in what could be seen as a form of realism amongst viewers.

NORMA MERRICK SKLAREK •

Daughter of two West Indian parents, she changed the face of architecture when in 1954 she became the first black American woman to receive an architecture license.

• GUERRILLA GIRLS •

A collective of women wearing gorilla masks sprung up during the 80s in New York City. Their purpose simple - to address racism and sexism in the art world, politics and society in general. With their hidden identities all we know for certain is that some members are WOC. As a collective they have directly been involved with challenging and changing the percentage of women in reknown art galleries such as The Met and MoMA.

• SHADI GHADIRIAN •

Iranian photographer born in the 70’s. Her work questions women’s roles within society exploring censorship, religion, modernity, and status.

• RENEE COX •

Cox is a photographer who celebrated black womanhood. Jamaican born American raised, her work demonstrates a deep concern for social issues with integrated religious imagery of Christianity.

• WANGECHI MUTU •

Born in the 70s in Nairobi she now works and lives in NY. With Her most influential works being a series of collages exploring female cultural identity, which were exhibited at the Saatchi gallery.

• SHIRIN NESHAT •

A Muslim Iranian visual artist. Creator of compelling film ‘Women without men’ a visual documentation with an insightful birds eye view of women’s rights in Iran. The film with its explorations of Islam and gender relations documents the lives of four captivating Muslim women.

• AVA DUVERNAY •

African American director nominated for many awards due to her exquisite artistic ability and creatively, was the first black woman to be nominated for a golden globe for best director last year (yes 2015?!) for her work on ‘Selma’.

CWOCWSBTA — PAIGE MCKENZIE