50 Female Visual Artists

Painter Sometimes referred to as the "Painter of Sorrows", much of Kahlo's work depicted graphic images of her physical and mental suffering, as she was involved in an accident at the age of 18, and, as a consequence, underwent multiple operations and was confined to bed for months at a time; she began to draw and paint while recovering in the hospital from the accident; her paintings, do, however contain an element that transcends the suffering; much of her work speaks to gender-roles and politico-social views; she had to attend her first show in her homeland of Mexico in her sick bed; by this time she had already exhibited successfully in New York and Paris; often described as a Surrealist, but rejected this label; she died at the age of 47 from pneumonia.

Painter Although Cassatt was forced to stop painting due to failing eyesight 11 years before her death, she enjoyed a long and successful career as an Impressionist painter; she began studying art in Philadelphia, near where she grew up; she then studied in Paris and during numerous tours around Europe, before settling in Paris in 1845; Cassatt became friends with Edgar Degas, and was asked to join the "Independants", later known as the Impressionists; although most of her work was done in oils and pastels, she loved experimentation with different mediums, and also worked some in etching, drypoint, aquatints and Japanese printing techniques; Cassatt helped Monet and Degas become known in the US by mediating between the Impressionists and the American public; she is probably best known for her many paintings of the middle-class, often depicting the subject of mother and child.

Ash Lethal is a new artist making waves in the underground art scene from the city of Atlanta, GA. This artist is bold and brave as she risks pouring out a disturbing mix of emotions and images in her paintings and drawings. Ash's web presence is thick and spreading through the online networks organically. She sells original work and prints that are both incredibly affordable and completely unique. Let this girl give you something to talk about.

Painter Only woman admitted to the Accademia del Disegno; with strongly expressive and dramatic expression of the figures in her paintings, and use of the chiaroscuro (contrasts of light and dark) style, her work was often compared to that of Caravaggio-one of the most important painters of the Baroque period.

Canadian painter, most notably of the BC coastlines, rainforests and the indigenous peoples of the area. She was a contemporary of the Group of Seven artists (although as a female, she wasn't allowed to join) and her autobiography was titled "Klee Wick".

Rego is a prolific painter and printmaker, and in earlier years was also a producer of collage work. Her most well known depictions of folk tales and images of young girls, made largely since 1990, bring together the methods of painting and printmaking with an emphasis on strong and clearly drawn forms, in contrast to Rego's earlier more loose style paintings.

60-year career; extensive output of prints and drawings along with 20 sculptures-combined with social and political issues of the day; experienced 2 wars, human suffering and social discontent, which was reflected in her work; series of prints influenced the development of 20th century graphics. Her commitment to peace and humanity is evident in her eloquent style, most notably in the execution of numerous commissioned works for flysheets and posters, such as the famous "Nie Wieder Krieg" (No More War).

I question the art history knowledge of the person who put this together.

A precursor of the pop art, minimalist and feminist art movements, Kusama influenced contemporaries such as Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg. Kusama is now acknowledged as one of the most important living artists in the world, and an important voice of the avant-garde. Major retrospectives of her work have been held at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and Tate Modern. The 84-year-old is the top-selling living female artist of all time, fetching $118 million total at auction.

Sculptor Subjects: Life and Death (The death of her father in 1988 led to her "real birth as an artist"), exposure to nature and the environment, human existence and the story of the human body. During the 1990's, she turned her attention to the relationship between Man, nature and the cosmos. Awarded the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture in 2000.

Integrating the illusion of architectural space with painterly, gestural marks, she creates rich, dynamic art.

Photographer/Filmmaker Born in Iran in 1957; went to school in California in 1974; work focuses on social developments in contemporary Islam and, in particular, the strictly controlled situations of women; in 1999, won the First International Prize at the Venice Biennale; video work notes strong contrast between Western and Islamic cultures, men and women, individuals and society and control and desire.

Video and Video Installation Artist Frequent Themes: Sexuality and eroticism, the difference between the sexes and the physical appearance of men and especially women. She utilizes a mixture of visual and musical elements in her work, often manipulated by computer.

Hannah Höch is not just an important woman artist, but an important artist of the 20th century. Early in that century, she faced very serious gender discrimination, in art education and from male Dada artists. Nonetheless, her brilliant Dada collage/photomontage, "Cut with the Kitchen Knife," is probably the key pioneering Dada collage/photomontage and certainly the most artistically successful. In the late 1910s and 1920s, Höch also worked in both abstract constructivist collage that specifically included female craftwork and in feminist politically critical collage verging on surrealism. She worked at the edges of surrealism and symbolist art in the 1930s and 1940s until her work was banned by the Nazis. After World War II, she experimented billiantly with abstract expressionism (e.g., Fata Morgana, 1957) and continued her work with collage/photomontage to the end (see "Sunflowers"). Not all the years since the second wave of feminism began have produced such an important feminist artist.

ARINA is a new star, who came to the art world to move it towards the Beauty! She is already doing it. ARINA's works are unique as well as her philosophy. She influences and inspires many artists following her ideas. She deserves to be in the list and to be highly ranked.

YBA new generation, Islamic cross-cultural look and embraced by NYC old guard feminism AND Tracey Emin. Self portraits that warrant death threats, the girl is undeterred. Multi-disciplinary in her message: digital art/photography, paintings, art videos. Already in her mid-20s, she's exhibiting at the museum level.

Powerful photography mixed with socialism and anthropology. In her "Projects" photographs, "she immerses herself into each American sub-cultures and creates an identity that is an extension of herself."

Illustrator/Watercolorist Studied plants, flowers and insects from a very early age; set up school for painting and embroidery in 1670; published the "New Book of Flowers" (1675-1680)-Watercolors of her observations and illustrations; 2 volumes of scientific illustrations-"The Wonderful Transformation of Caterpillars" (1679-1683) and a book on insects published Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamesium (1705); her publications were appreciated both for their aesthetic expression as well as scientific instruction.

Painter Pupil of French painter Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, which later led to a love affair and artistic collaboration. In fact, Most of her work could not be easily distinguished from that of her former teacher. She suffered severe bouts of depression and anxiety, finally committing suicide in her studio in 1821.