10 Women Artists I Got to Know in July

Hi art lovers!

Every single month, I research dozens of contemporary women artists making work that is so innovative, detailed, and moving that I can’t possible keep these discoveries to myself. That’s where my “living women artists you should know” series was born, and since I started in early 2025, I’ve turned thousands on Substack into fans of working artists across several mediums.

Why emphasize on living women artists? Supporting creatives while they’re actively working ensures the survival of their practice. It means their career goals, whether it’s finally getting a solo show or growing a collector base or partnering with brands and publications, can actually materialize. While significant strides have been made towards equality in the arts, women artists still receive fewer museum shows, lower values at auction, and less recognition in art history. I’d like to change that!

Let’s recap the artists I featured in July that resonated with you all the most! For even more contemporary art content, follow me on Instagram :)

Roksana Bajda: Roksana’s paintings feel both nostalgic and ghostly, foreign but comforting. When I shared her painting Herd, folks in the comments immediately noted how the work feels like a childhood dream thanks to the My Little Pony appearance.

Danielle McKinney: If you haven’t heard of Danielle McKinney, where have you been? Trained as a photographer, McKinney shifted to painting during the pandemic, imagining scenes of Black women is peaceful rooms with nods to art history (I love a painting within a painting). Her work is currently on view at the Norton Museum of Art through October 9 and was recently on the cover of Cultured Magazine.

Florence Reekie: Florence’s paintings are so calming. She paints every inch of silk so tightly that these nearly pass as photographs.

Ayame Uchima: Some of Ayame’s crocheted works are actually drawings, but they’re so incredibly detailed that you’d be challenged to tell the difference. She’s based in France, and you can buy her prints here.

Maya Fuji: Bay Area-based, Japanese born painter Maya Fuji takes inspiration from mythology, folklore, and traditional Ukiyo-e paintings. Her detailed scenes capture traditions in the making, observing how immigrant communities establish homes away from home. Her work will be on view at Glass Rice Gallery in SF starting August 1.

Natassja E. Swift: I first became familiarized with Natassja’s work in 2020, but recently revisited her practice because she’s just so insanely talented. Her needle-felted sculptures reflect the rich history, visual language, and journeys of the African Diaspora.

Elise Peroi: Elise’s works are the kind that completely transform a room, whether it’s a large-scale installation or a tapestry-sculpture hybrid that was hand-woven. I love when art bewilders people, and the scale and materials in Elise’s work make it hard to distinguish what you’re looking at. Once you get closer, you realize the technical feat includes several layers of painted cloth and tiny fibers.

Ana Terral: I’d love to see more brands working with Ana Terral, whose dipytchs tell stories of our sacrifices of beauty (see the blister image as part of her ‘surface memory’ series), womanhood, and intimacy.

Amber Cowan: Amber’s practice is unlike any glass art I’ve seen. While the centerpiece goblets, birds, and swans are vintage glass pieces, she remelts glass factory discards and blows them into a dense layer of romantic, exploding foliage.

Tobie Tse: A heavy-hitting post both on my Instagram and Substack, Tobie crocheted the message we’re all thinking these days: Enough with the AI posters. AI could never make this, though.

Thank you for reading! If you find my work researching and curating women artists to be meaningful, consider supporting me with a paid subscription and gain access to bi-monthly job boards, exhibition reviews, and marketing advice for artists!

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