A New Book Repaints the Legacy of Street Art by Spotlighting Women Leading the Genre

A photograph of a mural of a woman wearing a scarf on the end of a building.

Medianeras, “The Crystal Ship” (2021) in Ostend, Belgium. All images courtesy of the artists and Prestel, shared with permission

For street artists, the urban landscape is an infinite canvas. Whether wheat pasted, sprayed, or layered with brushes, vibrant compositions revitalize public spaces and provide an ever-evolving barometer of the political climate and current affairs. The genre has been historically dominated by men, but a new book by journalist Alessandra Mattanza and Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art founder Stephanie Utz shifts the dial.

Women Street Artists spotlights the diverse practices of 24 graffiti and mural artists hailing from around the globe who work in a variety of styles, from large-scale public projects like Camilla Falsini’s vibrant pavement composition in Milan to striking interventions like Olek’s pink, crocheted coverlet for “Charging Bull,” Wall Street’s masculine bronze sculpture. Each finds walls, sidewalks, demolished structures, prison cells, grain silos, and other nontraditional surfaces to express ideas around feminism and empowerment, body imagery, racism, the climate crisis, and other critical issues.

You can find a copy of Women Street Artists on Bookshop.org, available now in the U.K. and scheduled for release in the U.S. on December 6.

A mural of Ruth Bader-Ginsberg and symbols of American democracy.

Elle, “Ruth Bader Ginsburg” (2020) in New York City

An aerial image of a colorful geometric public art piece on a Milan street.

Camilla Falsini, “Tactical Urban Planning Intervention” (2020) in Milan, Italy. Photo by Jungle Agency

A detail of graffiti featuring two women wearing hijabs with Superman logos on their torsos.

#LEDIESIS, “Superwomen” (2019) in Italy

A pink crocheted coverlet sewn over the "Charging Bull" sculpture on Wall Street.

Olek, “Charging Bull” (2010), Wall Street, New York City

A blue and black portrait of a young woman on the site of a disused diner in Miami.

Christina Angelina in collaboration with Ease One (2015) in Miami, Florida

The cover of 'Women Street Artists' book.

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