As I have been thinking about my invented culture of anti-bullying, I have been looking for some inspiration from contemporary artists. It is difficult to find artists that directly address anti-bullying so I have been looking at some artists that are influenced by different forms of injustice and oppression.

Ai Weiwei

I thought Ai Weiwei’s work was very inspiring and relates to my culture of anti-bullying because he addresses the oppressors while bringing awareness to the public. Ai Weiwei is a famous contemporary artist that is well known for using his art for political activism and using it to fight for human rights. Although Ai Weiwei addresses many different political issues, he focuses his artwork on opposing the Chinese government. After several investigations and artwork against the Chinese government, Ai Weiwei was arrested and detained for 81 days for “economic crimes”. Ai Weiwei is 62 years old and is thought to be currently living in Cambridge, previously living in Berlin until 2019.

More information about his artwork & photo credits:
Tate
Khan Academy
Guggenheim Bilbao
Colossal
Public Delivery
Time Magazine

Guerrilla Girls

Another group of artists that relate to my anti-bullying, or anti-injustice culture are the Guerrilla Girls. Guerrilla Girls an anonymous group of female, feminist activist artists. The group consisted of over 55 members that contributed over weeks, months, years, and decades. The group was founded in New York City in 1985. To remain anonymous, the artists wear gorilla masks and use pseudonyms of past female artists as a homage, stating that issues matter more than their identities. Their mission is to fight discrimination and support human rights for all people and all genders. Through their work, the Guerrilla Girls focus on gender inequality and ethnic bias as well as political, art, film, and pop culture corruption.

More information about their artwork & photo credits:
Guerrilla Girls
Tate
Sotheby’s

Kehinde Wiley

Known for his large, ornate portrait paintings of African American men and women, Kehinde Wiley blurs the lines between traditional and contemporary paintings. Wiley addresses the absence of the black figure in art history and the white patriarchal society by deconstructing the history of portraiture. He often references Western and European portraits and focuses on the symbolism of heroism, power, and wealth. Wiley also interrogates the notions of race, privilege, and class by placing his hyper-realistic figures juxtaposed against vibrant, floral backgrounds. His career particularly boomed after his portrait of former President Obama.

More information about his artwork & photo credits:
Kehinde Wiley
Widewalls

Wangechi Mutu

Go behind the scenes with contemporary artist Wangechi Mutu, who discusses the inspiration and making of The NewOnes, will free Us, an exhibition of four scu...

Wangechi Mutu is a contemporary Kenyan-American artist. I recently found Wangechi Mutu’s artwork while I was browsing through The Met’s online resources. She was recently commissioned to complete four sculptures that fit into the front facades of The Met, which have been empty since The Met’s first opening. I found her sculptures very powerful and inspiring. I was delighted to find her in my class reading and found out more about her past work. Her work often reflects gender, race, art history, and her personal identity.