Don’t Tell Me To Smile; A Celebration of Women Who Rebel

In honor of International Women’s Day, I created a series of portraits of women whose rebellion has changed our collective idea of what it means to be a woman. 

Digital pencil drawing of Frida Kahlo by Dena Cooper
Digital pencil drawing of Angela Davis by Dena Cooper

Frida changed the way we view hardship

Digital pencil drawing of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie by Dena Cooper

Angela taught us the meaning of equality

Digital pencil drawing of Greta Thunberg by Dena Cooper

Chimamanda made feminism more accessible 

Digital pencil drawing of Georgia O'Keeffe by Dena Cooper

Greta showed us that age is just a number

Digital pencil drawing of Gloria Steinem by Dena Cooper

Georgia proved that our art has value 

Digital pencil drawing of Marsha P. Johnson by Dena Cooper

Gloria taught us that feminism is actually equality

Marsha changed the definition of what it means to be a woman

Though these women may have fundamentally disagreed about many things, their brazen authenticity in a world of established social norms was so fierce that it transformed our social landscapes forever. 

In our homogenized world, just being yourself is a daily act of rebellion. Cheers to all the women who show up again and again to do just that. Sending love to all the rebels <3

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