100 Voices, 100 Artists
Discover new works by Saatchi Art’s top women artists
2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women the right to vote.
But while women have attained a more equal voice in American democracy, they still don’t have parity when it comes to the arts; only 14% of living artists represented by galleries in Europe and North America are women.
Like the vote, we see art as a powerful means of expressing one’s voice and vision. In recognition of this landmark centennial, Saatchi Art is celebrating 100 of our most talented women artists. Enjoy discovering these up-and-coming artists, handpicked by our chief curator Rebecca Wilson.
Saatchi Art is proud to have achieved gender parity
50% of our selling artists are women
6 Saatchi Art artists reflect on how their art is an expression of their personal voice.
Meet 100 of our Top Artists
Discover these up-and-coming women artists from around the world, handpicked by our team of expert curators. Click the thumbnail to explore each artist’s entire portfolio.
Tarini Ahuja
“Tarini operates at the threshold of representation and abstraction to create serene abstracts that are evocative of nature.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Marcelina amelia
“Despite focusing on serious themes such as female sexuality, gender and society, Marcelina’s paintings employ a tongue-in-cheek approach that keeps her work relatable.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Athena Anastasiou
“Athena’s contemporary portraits bring together impasto layers of paint and vibrant textile weaves, inspired by her extensive travels across South America.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Annabel Andrews
“Inspired by the colors of the landscape where she lives in El Escorial, Spain, the geometric forms and washes of color in Annabel’s paintings reinvent the famous color paintings of the 1940s and ‘50s.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Nadia Attura
“Nadia collects details photographed on location which she then strategically layers in her studio, creating a final image with overlapping scenes that convey a sense of time and place.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Allison Bagg
“Infused with fresh energy and humor, Allison documents her travels and everyday life, creating mind-bending realities and challenging our notions of traditional art.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Eloisa Ballivian
“Impressive in both scale and technique, Eloisa’s surreal pop art paintings submerge the viewer in an all-consuming wave of color and atmosphere.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Meegan Barnes
“With a playful approach to female empowerment, Meegan glorifies female sexuality with sculptures unabashedly depicting “the booty” and including traditionally valuable material, such as gold leaf.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Jessica Batan
“As a journalist and self-taught photographer tackling social and human rights issues, Jessica incisively captures both joy and tribulation through the camera.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Florence Baumgartner
“Warm, glowing landscapes and fuzzy, welcoming shadows bring oil and wood to life in Florence’s idyllic compositions.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Yurim Gough
“Yurim uses hand-formed ceramic bowls as unlikely canvases for her figure drawings, yielding masterful line drawings that bend with the contours of the ceramic.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Paola Bazz
“Paola examines the constant change of identity—its destruction and reconstruction—through 2D and 3D collage portraits of celebrities and strangers using found scraps of paper from magazines, leaflets and advertising materials.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Elizabeth Becker
“Elizabeth is drawn to the spontaneity and immediacy of watercolors, a medium which has taught her to relinquish control and embrace imperfections.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Francesca Dalla Benetta
“Informed by her background in set design and special effects makeup, Francesca makes surreal figures with startling presence.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Lene Bladbjerg
“With a background in graphic design, Lene creates crisp compositions that capture the hidden beauty of ordinary events or objects.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Jessica Bodner
“Based on sacred geometry, Jessica’s outdoor installations and tabletop sculptures belie their heavy materials with an aura of weightlessness.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Liz Bretz
“Using photo illustration and manipulation, Liz’s photographs create atmospheres that investigate the haunting and emotional introspection of dreams and the subconscious.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Laura Browning
“Inspired by the California dream of the 1960s, Laura’s paintings of light on water instantly evoke the feeling of a bright summer day.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Marijah Bac Cam
“In an exploration of texture, depth and femininity, Marijah’s abstract drawings are full of organic movement and forms.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Sherry Xiaohong Chen
“Through minimal forms, soft palettes, and mindful appreciation for the present moment, Sherry uncovers the subtle beauty in the mundane.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Susan J Chen
“As a commercial, fashion, and fine art photographer, Susan generates impactful compositions marked by her wry sense of humor.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
nadia jaber
“Combining various images, patterns and text on multiple canvases stitched together, Nadia’s collages represent the vastness and overwhelming labyrinth that is the digital world.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Michelle Loa Kum Cheung
“Using oil and gold leaf on wood panel, Michelle creates ethereal land and skyscapes, drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources from children’s stories to satellite earth imagery.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Yuna Chun
“Yuna’s illusionistic geometric paintings recall the dynamism of urban architecture and formally challenge the limits of our visual perception.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Lucille Clerc
“Working from intricate drawings to screenprinting, Lucille highlights London’s historical architecture and the challenging relationship between nature and urbanization.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Denise Dalzell
“Denise’s snapshots of everyday scenes are painted with a hopeful yet nostalgic cast, capturing feelings of connection and loneliness simultaneously.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Amber Denison
“Amber’s background in welding and plasma-cutting informs her paintings in which white lines are overlaid onto abstracted color backgrounds.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Patricia Derks
“Patricia uses electrified color palettes and broad, strong brushstrokes to make modern portraits that seem to reverberate on the canvas.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Ellen Dieter
“With impossibly clean edges that tease the viewer’s eye to look deeper, color and shape dance across Ellen’s canvases with an interdimensional whimsicality.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Lynne Douglas
“Inspired by her native Scotland, Lynne’s photographs are abstract island landscapes made of smooth and serene color transitions.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Stella El
“With impressionist brushstrokes, Stella captures the joy and energy of the Hawaiian islands where she grew up.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Vanessa Endeley
“Based in Abuja, Nigeria, Vanessa challenges the viewer’s perception of her subjects through bold portraiture.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Jill Lear
“Jill’s paintings of hundred- to thousand-year-old trees serve as loving documentations of place as well as formal explorations of space and form.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Javiera Estrada
“Javiera captures the vicissitudes of human relationships and emotion through sensual photographs.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Carla Sa Fernandes
“The vibrancy and allure of Carla’s explosive works have led them to be acquired by collectors in over 35 countries.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Jodie Fletcher
“With a background in industrial design working alongside the likes of Frank Gehry and Swarovski, Jodie pushes the boundaries of painting and textiles in her art practice, weaving strips of canvas into vibrant tableaux.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Nicola Godden
“Nicola captures the grace of the human form in bronze, taking inspiration from mythology—especially the story of Icarus—to embody both the strength and fragility of humankind.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Heather Goodwind
“Heather draws intuitively, distilling fleeting thoughts and emotionally charged moments into fantastical landscapes.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Jamie Gray
“Combining marbling, gilding, and hard-edge line, Jamie creates paintings that are both geometric and primordial.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Rashna Hackett
“Rashna draws on her memories of growing up in East Africa to create rhythmic, geometric paintings that evoke both the movement of city streets and the flux of inner emotions.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Marianne Hendriks
“With each distillation of a leaf into a simple abstraction, Marianne attempts to make sense of the world by manipulating geometry and form.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Zena Holloway
“Underwater environments serve as the backdrop for Zena’s dramatic and poetic compositions, which capture our primordial connection to water.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Anna Hymas
“Anna’s abstract paintings layer blocks of color and pattern from Chinoiserie and textiles, resulting in still lifes and maplike landscapes which have hung at the prestigious Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Peggy Lee
“With unremitting precision, Peggy translates her interest in technology and human connectivity into boundless networks of lines and rich webs of color.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Caroline Jacobson
“Caroline makes a poignant statement in her works, exposing the co-dependent tendencies of human beings.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Rusudan Khizanishvili
“Importing visual motifs from sources as varied as Persian miniature painting, Estonian mythology, and Western art history, Rusudan paints carnivalesque and surrealist scenes with confident brushstrokes and bold color.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Kim Kimbro
“Kim’s gestural brushstrokes and synthetic color palettes capture the nuances of human emotion.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Rie Kono
“Rie’s meticulous, dreamlike nature scenes and cityscapes are imbued with a sense of wonder and infectious optimism.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Seunghwui Koo
“Seunghwui uses resin, acrylic, plaster and clay to create satirical sculptures of pigs, playing with duality of meaning stemming from the divergent associations of ‘the pig’ as a symbol in Eastern and Western cultures.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Lisa Krannichfeld
“Lisa reimagines the female portrait, with her subject empowered and looking directly at the viewer in a defiant pose.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Mercedes Lagunas
“Mercedes’ bright and energetic paintings are defined by her distinctive style that combines graffiti and pop art.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curato
Lissy Elle Laricchia
“Lissy’s surreal photographs ask us to embrace our inner child and think back to a time of fairytales and daydreams.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Elizabeth Lennie
“Elizabeth’s signature impasto style brings a soft-focus effect to her work, conjuring nostalgic memories of childhood summer holidays.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Kim Leutwyler
“Kim investigates LGBTQ+ identities through confrontational portraits that vacillate between abstraction and photorealism.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Melissa McGill
“Inspired by the natural world around her, Melissa layers pastel, chalk and washes of paint to build up her works in a spontaneous, organic way.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Felicidad De Lucas
“Felicidad’s works makes a powerful statement about the ecological footprint left by human interaction with our environments.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Priyanka Mac
“Priyanka explores what lies beneath façades of perfection to produce multimedia artworks that speak to the age of celebrity and social media.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Katrina Majkut
“Katrina’s vintage paper collages, that have garnered acclaim from VICE and Hyperallergic, explore the innocence of childhood and the selective nature of nostalgia.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Sarah Maple
“Drawing on her experience as a Muslim woman living in Britain, Sarah consistently offers uncompromising social critique that has earned her an exhibition at Tate Britain and recognition from Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and the Guardian.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Alex McIntyre
“Inspired by land and sky, and devoid of any human touch, Alex’s works offer a space to breathe and contemplate.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Anna McNeil
“A finalist for the Lynn Painter-Stainer Prize in 2017, Anna investigates the complex narratives of human relationships and memory.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Fares Micue
“As the main protagonist in her works, Fares transforms herself and her surroundings to tell emotional stories that are left open to interpretation from the viewer.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Darla McKenna
“Inspired by architecture, landscapes and music, Darla’s playful and rhythmic compositions are born of cutting, painting and layering mid-century newspapers and magazines.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Lola Mitchell
“Lola’s ethereal underwater photographs accentuate the female form through enthralling movements and textures.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Kristin Moore
“As a native Texan, Kristin brings a love of big skies and stark landscapes to her paintings.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Marisa Mu
“Unapologetically bare and wild, Marisa’s tiny dancers are full of energy and color, embodying pure euphoria and freedom.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Kera Morgan
“Informed by her background in textiles, Kera weaves together non-linear stories in her mixed media works made of found paper fragments.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Mallory Morrison
“Mallory’s background in dance shines through in her underwater photography that utilizes the weightlessness of water to emphasize a dancer’s movement.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Sophie Morro
“With a playful color palette and sense of humor, Sophie captures the landscape, mythology, and culture of her native Southern California.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Meg Lionel Murphy
“In Meg’s work women grow physically larger and stronger than their surroundings, taking on a life of their own and dominating the canvas.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Rocio Navarro
“With minimal color palettes and sparse settings, Rocio captures the solidity and presence of her female subjects with understated exactitude.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Somi Nwandu
“With a professional background managing cross-cultural creative projects in fashion and the arts, Somi constructs iconic portraits that celebrate African heritage, femininity, and cultural connections.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Zlatka Paneva
“With a surrealist sensibility, Zlatka investigates the affinities between humans and animals in moody scenes.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Alba Paramo
“With an emphasis on the fragility of nature, Alba strives to document Latin American mythology and culture amidst a rapidly changing world.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Monica Perez
“Monica’s works are expressions of emotion—impulsive, spontaneous gestures that unite strokes of abandon and the constraints of composition.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Jenna Polla
“Using minimal color, Jenna builds up and strips down multiple layers of paint in her works, resulting in subtly complex texture and nuanced tones.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Marianne angeli Rodriguez
“Marianne’s large-scale abstract paintings are fueled by memories of the vibrant sights, scents and stories from her childhood in West Africa, Central America, Europe and Asia.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Jessica Poundstone
“Inspired by the Minimalist and Light and Space movements, Jessica conveys the meditative potential of color and shape in her prints and paintings.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Karen Powell
“Karen’s paintings incorporate collaged photos and text, becoming flurries of memory that present her experience as an African American in a celebratory, empowering way.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Eleni Pratsi
“In an exploration of the infinite, Eleni draws on the endless shape of the circle and combines it with the immeasurable possibilities of the color wheel.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Kelly Puissegur
“Kelly draws on pop culture to make irreverent, unexpected paintings that are playful and don’t take themselves too seriously.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Shima Rabiee
“Trained in architecture and design, Shima captures emotional presence and depth in her figures with a refreshing commitment to realism and form.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Ute Rathmann
“Inspired by the Old Masters, Ute delicately captures the nuances of the human body.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Alexa Torre Rodriguez
“Alexa’s brightly colored photographs bring a strong feministic spin to traditional symbols of Mexican culture.”
– Bethany Fincher, Curatorial Assistant
Seda Saar
“Seda explores the interplay of materials, space and light to build prismatic sculptures that challenge our perception and capture the affective potential of color.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Stefanie Schneider
“Stefanie uses expired Polaroid film to make hazy images imbued with cinematic narratives and dreamlike ephemerality.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Laura Schuler
“Laura’s work is replete with graffiti mark-making, floral textures and movement.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Ewelina Skowronska
“Ewelina explores the female form with a sense of spatial fluidity and a graphic distillation of the body into carnal abstraction.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Synnöve Seidman
“Perpetually drawn to nature, Synnöve distills sublime mountainscapes into otherworldly tableaux.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Anna Sidi-Yacoub
“Inspired by the ever-changing movement of water, Anna shapes each metallic work by hand to produce unique sculptures that reflect calmness and tranquility.”
– Megan Wright, Assistant Curator
Olga Skorokhod
“Olga finds endless ways to manipulate paper, using cut outs to construct wonderfully intricate and elegant designs inspired by natural formations and textures.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Taylor Smith
“Taking to task pop culture, the pharmaceutical industry and the limits of technology, Taylor invents her own brand of pop art for the 21st century.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Leni Smoragdova
“Through an intense focus on the human body, Leni attempts to show us the inner force beneath contorted forms or hidden faces.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Joyce Steinfeld
“Joyce examines language’s power to both unite and divide us, through abstract sculptures that gesture towards both alphabetical symbols and human forms.”
– Aurora Garrison, Assistant Curator
Deborah Stevenson
“Deborah’s collages, often exploring concepts of power and femininity, emerge in an “automatic” way as visual dialogues appear out of the masses of paper on her desk.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Chalavie V.
“Summertime scenes are subverted by the shock of a cool, desaturated palette, evoking a sense of isolation reminiscent of Hitchcock and Hopper.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Naomi Vona
“In her latest project focused on collage, Naomi brings new life to vintage photographs and postcards using pens, paper and colored tape.”
– Monty Preston, Associate Curator
Valerie Wilcox
“With delightful quirkiness, Valerie’s multi-media assemblages blur the boundary between painting and sculpture.”
– Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator
Simple-T
“Simple-T dabbles in the strange and unusual to create daring surrealist images.”
– Victoria Kennedy, Associate Curator
Special Edition Artwork:
whitney avra
On the occasion of Saatchi Art’s 100 Voices, 100 Artists, artist Whitney Avra created an exclusive limited-edition print of her work How Long Must We Wait For Liberty. Inspired by the strong women of the past and those who continue to fight for rights today, the bold image of a suffragette exudes strength and beauty in the face of adversity. You can also visit Society6.com to purchase a line of products featuring Whitney’s work.
On the occasion of Saatchi Art’s 100 Voices, 100 Artists, artist Whitney Avra created an exclusive limited-edition print of her work How Long Must We Wait For Liberty. Inspired by the strong women of the past and those who continue to fight for rights today, the bold image of a suffragette exudes strength and beauty in the face of adversity. You can also visit Society6.com to purchase a line of products featuring Whitney’s work.
Saatchi Art curators spoke with critically-acclaimed artists about their process, inspiration, and the ways in which their identity as a woman is relevant to their art.
