Six Digital Feminists You Should Be Friends With on Instagram Today
A new body-positive trend is growing on social media, and feminist artists are often seen posting selfies of their natural bodies on Instagram; unshaven legs and arm-pits, brightly coloured wigs, badass tattoos, and bare faces untouched by makeup. To the average Insta-junkie, these displays can be slightly repelling, but to all the self-conscious women around the world, it’s a wonderful blessing to see someone act so bravely on social media. To celebrate girl power, we’ve gathered a list of the most awesome feminist artists on Instagram today that are unapologetic, beautiful and often very, very, naked.
Leah Schrager
Blurring the lines between an artist’s career and being a social media celebrity with more than 400K fans, Schrager created a musician, an artist and a model through her social media alter ego, and set herself three main goals to achieve by 2020: get a photograph of her butt on the cover of Rolling Stone, receive one million downloads for her music and grow ten million followers on her Instagram. Her photographs aim to change the way we think about the selfie culture, and are everything but puritanical. Amazing, what good can come out of loving and sharing our bodies! Find her. @leahschrager and also as our inaugural centrefold in this issue.
Favourite #tags used :#newwork; #art;#selfiestick; #studiovisit;#metaselfie
Frances Cannon
Frances’ IG is filled with adorable minimalist drawings that promote body positivity and self love. The wonderful thing about her drawings is the fact that Frances doesn’t fall into the trap of drawing what society considers as “perfect” bodies; they are asymmetrical, they defy gender stereotypes, they showcase pubic hair, non-sexualised breasts, and other traits that the society usually doesn’t want to see. @frances_cannon
Favourite #tags used :#35jfmm;#bansheebotpete;#selfloveclub;#neonmoonco
John Yuyi
Dubbed as “the Willy Wonka of the art world”, Yuyi’s work is pretty surreal, bizarre and hauntingly beautiful. After taking one glance at her Instagram, it’s clear that self portraiture is a big part of Yuyi’s work, and many of these portraits include covering herself in meat, social media tattoos on various body parts or instant noodles stuck to her face. This shows a fearless attempt at taking control of one’s body, something that we as feminists want for every woman on the planet. It must also be pretty fun to cover yourself in all those temporary tattoos like showing your Facebook likes on your cheek. @johnyuyi
Juno Calypso
Her art is both delicate and somewhat haunting in tone; the pastels contrast well with some of the darker imagery of disturbing sheet masks, odd helmets and stiff mannequins—mostly positioned in honeymoon suites. Calypso’s imagery is as pink and as vibrant as a John Waters flick and looks like movie scenes from a highly stylised drama. Thematically, Calypso uses her alter-ego, Joyce, to show the private life of a woman overwhelmed by the social construct of femininity. Calypso (and Joyce) can be found @junocalypso
Little Voice
Little Voice is not only an Instagram photographer and model, but she’s also the front-woman for the electronica band Freefreedomdom–who sound awesome by the way–and an art curator for the feminist platform Curated by Girls, which is equally awesome, and based out of Berlin. Her Instagram shots are comfortably casual in tone, with muted colours that almost give off a Polaroid camera feel. Guest photographers such as Gabijia Labutyte . (@gabijolaphoto) also make an appearance on her page. You can follow Little Voice @itslittlevoice
Favourite #tags used: #freethepit;#philipperocks ;#35mm;#berlin; #beautifulbeings
Sarah Maple
As feminism is, essentially, a form of self love, Sarah Maple’s politically motivated photographs are a must see for any budding social justice activists. Her Instagram, in particular, is filled with feminist statements and even a few crude jokes that very deliberately question gender norms. One of Sarah’s best works is her painting If I loved you it was because of your hair, now you no longer have hair, I don’t love you anymore, is a portrait of Britney Spears mid-cut of her iconic long hair, which was put on display in the Blueproject Foundation’s “Herselves” exhibition of 2016; the piece reflects a rejection of forced power and reinforces bodily autonomy. Find Sarah @msmapes
Favourite #tags used:#feministart; #banana; #art; #sellyoursoul; #identity
This Feature Got Published in TheArtGorgeous Magazine#1 to Download e-version click here
Writer STEPHANIE WATSON
photos vis Instagram
