A few months back, I was introduced to the art of
Starchild Stela when someone posted a photo of one of her pieces on Twitter. It was so different, so colorful, so political, and cute! She instantly
became my new favorite street artist. (She
considers herself more of a feminist graffiti artist and not a street artist
per se).
Dr. Jessica N. Pabon, who interviewed Stela for her blog,
described her style like this, “Stela’s work caught my eye because her
absolutely curvilinear handstyle, pastel color palette, and pretty soft-eyed
characters are almost always adorned with explicit and aggressive language.”
Indeed, it is that juxtaposition of cute, big-eyed, (almost
anime style), female characters, with strong political messages, which sets
her apart from her contemporaries.
I think it works artistically because, even though her
drawings seem simple, they are colorful and full of life. And, I think, it works politically because
there is an element of humor to it, (which is what I believe makes Banksy so
popular among basic masses).
Take for example, a cute little girl with the words, “Fuck your macho bullshit” spray-painted under
her; or her clever drawing of a woman with some kitties and the words, “Cats
against cat-calls.”
In the same interview
referenced above, Stela says about her work:
"I love adding a little feminist twist to my pieces. I don’t really intend to add a social message to my pieces, the words I add often reflects the discussion I’m having with friends. But indeed we are talking about what matter to us, and what makes us pissed off."Check out more of her work—and support her—by buying some of her stickers, prints, and original art from her online store.
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