ART TELLS WOMEN'S STORIES
Every brushstroke, every color, every detail tells a story.
This International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the journeys of women leaders in the AGI network through art—a reflection of their experiences, resilience, and vision for their future.
Through vibrant paintings, intricate designs, and innovative creations, these women share their personal stories—moments of challenge, transformation, and triumph. Each piece is a window into their world, a testament to the paths they have walked and the futures they are shaping.
Join us as we honor their stories—told not just through voices, but through the language of art.
Beauty
Mojirayo Ogunlana - 2023 -2024 Impact West Africa Fellow
This work of art has been sitting on my shelf since August 2024. It was made for me by my 22 year old nephew, Taslim Adegbola Kazeem, an upcoming artist, resident in Lagos, Nigeria.
The work is a testament to the beauty of the African woman. Whenever I look at it, I see myself and several other African women who are not afraid to show off their braids and their natural beauty.
*Credit: @amate_ur106
Unabated Joy in Technicolor
Dr. Julia Corvalan - 2016 New Voices Fellow
This vibrant piece of art transports me to a bygone period of my life, evoking a profound sense of nostalgia. It embodies a somatic memory of my childhood, where I was surrounded by strong, joyful women who deeply admired Jiménez—my mother being the most ardent admirer among them. The artwork's kaleidoscope of colors and dynamic composition not only reflect the exuberance of those formative years but also capture the essence of the women who shaped my early life. Each time I gaze upon it, I am reminded of the unbridled joy and resilience that defined their spirits, a quality that Jiménez's work so masterfully embodies
Artist: Edith Jiménez (Paraguay, 1918-2004), Grand Prize of the XIII São Paulo Biennial, 1975, the first Paraguayan artist to ever win said Biennial, and to date, one of only 2 female Paraguayan artists to have been recognized with this prestigious award.
*Edith Jiménez, Retrospectiva - Obra Gráfica. Asunción, 2001. Page 75. ISBN 99925-3-148-7
Serenity
ElsaMarie D'Silva - 2015 New Voices Fellow
Serenity
*Photo is taken by ElsaMarie at Lake Bled, Slovenia. Slavko Oblak is the artist of the Cyclamen sculpture by the Lake in Bled, Slovenia
Resolute
Holly Kearl - Community Manager
Resolute in one’s efforts to secure women’s rights and safety even in the face of barriers like harassment and patriarchy.
*Graffiti from Cairo 2013, part of the Egyptian revolution, by Mira Shihadeh
*Photographed by AP photographer Hassan Ammar
Power of Women
Peggy Clark - Interim Executive Director and Founder
This image is of a magnificent rug made by the Bani Hamida Rug Weaving Cooperative in Jordan. It inspires me as it reminds me of an important time in my life which strengthened my commitment and belief in the power of women. In 1986 I was a young, earnest 26 year old woman working as the first Director of Small Scale Enterprise and Credit at Save the Children. My job was to work with the many nascent income generating activities across the 43 member countries of Save the Children. I was sent to Jordan where a small group of Bedouin women were reviving the ancient technique of manual rug weaving with looms made of sticks and stones. I worked closely with the group to try bold new color palettes, and developed a two-generation business plan with the older mothers and grandmothers as weavers, and their daughters, who were literate and able to travel outside the rural villages, as marketers and financial managers. Thirty years after my first visit I was able to meet with them again -and I found a vibrant 3,500 women strong, multi- million dollar cooperative which had put generations of girls through university and was globally recognized. My heart swells with joy when I think of my small part in this glorious story of the power of women! And, I still have the blue rug in my living room where I brings me joy everyday.
*The photo is taken by Peggy Clark at the Bami Hamida organization, which is a weaving project center and gallery in Jordan.
Strength
Sylvia Kalley - Associate Director
This art was the first art piece that I commissioned by a young artist from Sierra Leone name Morrison. It shows the strength of a woman, shining bright in spite of all that life throws her way. A piece that is done only for me, no one in the world will ever have this piece.
*Credit: @morisonarts
* Photo is taken by Slyvia Kalley
Narratives of Power
Tsion Ghedamu - Deputy Director
Mark Bradford’s Medusa challenges me as a leader to rethink narratives of power and resilience, reminding me that transformation can emerge from adversity. It reinforces my responsibility to create spaces where marginalized voices are heard and redefined on their own terms, rather than through the lens of society.
* Mark Bradford | Medusa | 2016 Acrylic, paint, paper, rope, and caulk, dimensions variable image courtesy the artist and Hauser and Wirth
Photo: Joshua White
Taken from: https://www.theartsection.com/mark-bradford