What this series constitutes
In the past weeks I have been mulling over undertaking a project that centers on the deficient representation of gifted, important women throughout history. There is a massive need and growing demand to tell their stories not only to give them overdue acknowledgment, but more importantly, to displace and unveil the notion that women’s roles in past and present noteworthy fields, have been negligible.
Young girls and women should be able to read history books and novels about girls/women like them, watch movies and series with complex, three-dimensional characters not unlike them, and learn about the remarkable feats of women before them. For it is by discovering other women—who no matter their background, culture, religion, etc.—accomplished greatness in the face of adversity, that girls and women can see themselves and allow themselves to fight for their own aspirations.
In contemplating women’s missing and suppressed mark throughout history, I stumbled upon the feminist work of Rori, a St. Louis comic illustrator who drew a hundred portraits of women and called her series “100 days 100 women”. Her portraits moved me and deeply inspired me to create my own project in order to contribute and do my bit in shifting the paradigm.
For this series, I decided to focus on the lives and impacts several contemporary and historical women had on their given time as well as on me. In the interest of composing a written portrait of these women, I selected each woman on two different grounds: either I was familiar with her and admired her or I had never encountered her before but while searching for potential candidates, was profoundly impressed by her. Furthermore, I sought to have a selection of women from different periods of time, continents, cultures, occupations, and goals, so as to have as inclusive a group of women as I could (given the limitations in number of portraits I will write).
The ultimate purpose of the ‘Accomplished & Underrated Women Series’ is to celebrate these important women’s lives and deeds and in so doing, rejoice in those of all women. My wish is that in carrying out this project, I will inspire and empower some(one).
Monkey Business 