From South Africa to Afghanistan and America: An Exploration of Female Street Artists and the Socially Disruptive Nature of Their Work

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the pioneering work of a group of international, contemporary female street artists who directly confront issues of gender inequality in the public sphere. The socially and politically disruptive work of artists such as U.S.-based Lady Pink, Swoon, Olek, and Tatyana Fazlalizadeh; South African Faith XLVII; and Afghanistan’s Shamsia Hassani directly confronts their communities. They have created geographically specific work with coded language that seeks to effect change from within. Their work is a confrontational weapon of resistance in the male-dominated world of street art. This study explores the work of these diverse artists by highlighting its socio-political context. It investigates the manner in which the site specificity of their art is of paramount importance. The location of the work, freely available in the public domain, reinforces its political significance by speaking directly to the community. The provocative nature of street art offers a subversive medium in which female artists address the complexities of gender and social inequalities, oppression, and prejudice. Their artistic presence in civic spaces often presents a direct challenge to mainstream cultural norms. As a feminist challenge, these artists offer an alternative view of street art. By embracing the inherent marginality of street art as a medium, they can be seen as presenting a progressive way forward in the contemporary art scene.