Art beautifies our world at every corner from the strategically designed architecture of our campus to the carefully styled clothes on our backs to the vibrant murals and detailed artworks adorning our walls. Despite surrounding us in our daily lives, artists’ and their work seldom get the recognition and appreciation that they deserve aside from the times when a handful of people stop to smell the roses and tour an art museum.
Unfortunately, for those who make art their life’s purpose and source of income, this may not be enough. As an artist and lover of the arts myself, I’ve compiled a list of artists online to support which can be done by simply following their social media and appreciating their work or going as far as to purchase their pieces and enriching your living space with a fine masterpiece.
Female Alchemy
Although currently blowing up on TikTok, Female Alchemy is still a relatively small, female-owned ceramics business deeply rooted in admirable feminist values. Also known by her name Tatiana Cardona, Female Alchemy is headquartered in Miami, Florida and features lipstick-adorned lips across a variety of mainly, but not limited to, ceramic products. The signature colored lips are representative of red lipstick being used in the Second-wave Feminist Movement and are a continual symbol of femininity for the artist. Though most items are far out of range from a college student budget, the engaging TikTok videos are more than deserving of a follow to help boost Tatiana’s business.
Instagram: @female.alchemy https://www.instagram.com/female.alchemy/?hl=en
TikTok: @female.alchemy https://www.tiktok.com/@female.alchemy?lang=en
Website: Female Alchemy https://www.femalealchemy.com/
jessee aka @whateverjess
Whateverjess, also known as Jessee, is a young female Black artist who inspires and empowers her 41K Instagram followers and 725K TikTok followers by painting “imperfections” to showcase their true beauty. Followers comment and suggest their “insecurities,” and Jessee takes the liberty of making these unique attributes works of art for sometimes millions of people to see. This powerful artist paints everything from an array of body types to certain skin conditions, and her following, mainly targeted towards young women, feel gorgeous and validated in their own skin by seeing themselves represented on a canvas. These pieces, along with her other personal works, are featured on her Milkshake site which has links to an Etsy and Redbubble shop.
Instagram: @whateverjesss https://www.instagram.com/whateverjesss/
TikTok: @whateverjess https://www.tiktok.com/@whateverjess?lang=en
Milkshake site: Whateverjess https://msha.ke/whateverjess/
Giselle aka @sincerelyart
Giselle Mariel Ibarra, known as Sincerelyart or Sin online, is a full-time mother and surrealist artist that shares her emotionally-driven and thought-provoking artwork online and also sells an array of products featuring her work from interior decor to clothing and daily items. From her struggles growing up as a member of an immigrant family to being a full-time, single mother, Giselle has endless passion and motivation that shines through every brush stroke of her paintings. I would argue that between her personal background, her surrealist style, and the deep meanings surrounding her work, the artist is quite reminiscent of Frida Khalo, but her work features a more modern and vibrant, less dismal touch. Her work is undeniable proof that we can rise out of our hardest moments and deepest struggles to create beautiful things that inspire others to do the same. Some of her most meaningful and captivating pieces include: Angel, which symbolizes her personal rebirth, La Luna En Paraíso, signifying her freedom in art, The Miscarriage, a deeply bittersweet painting of healing, and Healing my Mother in which the artist shows her struggle to rekindle a relationship with her mother.
Instagram: @sincerely.art https://www.instagram.com/sincerely.art/?hl=en
TikTok: @sincerely.art https://www.tiktok.com/@sincerely.art?lang=en
Twitter: @sincerelyart https://twitter.com/sincerelyartref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Website: Sincerely Art https://sincerelyart.com/
Bella aka @avorallora
Avorallora, also known by Bella on TikTok, is a smaller artist on this list with little public information on her as a person and a slimmer line of work, but just as much beauty pours out of her paintings that she shares as the other artists on this list. As an illustration student, Bella creates stylistic figure paintings that have strong LGBTQ+ and feminine themes, often displaying lesbian couples with overwhelming love that can be passed from the canvas through a phone screen. Her Etsy shop is currently closed, but will be replenished as work and demand comes pouring in.
Instagram: @avorallora https://www.instagram.com/avorallorat/?hl=en
TikTok: @sincerely.art https://www.tiktok.com/@sincerely.art?lang=en
Etsy Site: Works by Avoralloa https://www.etsy.com/shop/WorkbyAvorallora
Ivan Alifan
Though at first glance Ivan Alifan’s work is not innately feminist, his paintings have impressive themes of sexuality, which in turn make the work pro-women. A lot of Alifan’s paintings have scenes of intimacy and self-pleasure as well dominant women who control their own narrative and take the reins on their sexuality, which is a highly feminist ideal and is quite liberating. Artistically, Alifan uses texture to his advantage, balancing bold strokes with a soft atmosphere to create an intriguing environment on the canvas. These creative elements are used to emphasize certain areas of his sensual paintings which he hopes will aid in removing the stigma from sexuality and provoke positive reactions to his nude and sexual art rather than shock or digust.
Instagram: @ivanalifan https://www.instagram.com/ivanalifan/?hl=en
Website: Ivan Alifan http://www.ivanalifan.com/
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