The 2024 edition of the Women in Art Fair selected 'Lecanora's Spell' a painting by Emma Tweedie to feature in their Spotlight Artist section during October. This was the second edition of the fair since its inauguration in 2023, taking over three of the gallery spaces within the prestigious Mall Galleries at the same time as Frieze Art Week.
The fair aims to readdress the gender imbalance in the art industry, showcasing women and those identifying as women and allowing them to show their work to a broader audience.
Over 200 artists participated, shortlisted from over 2000 hopefuls via an open call. The overall theme focused on the 'creative process', highlighting some of the challenges female artists face when making their work. Founded by Jacqueline Harvey and supported by leading names in the art industry, including Cynthia Valianti Corbett (The Cynthia Corbett Gallery), Virginia Damtsa (art dealer/gallerist) and Theresa Roberts, the fair is fast becoming a fixture during one of London's most prominent art weeks.
"This is not about excluding men," says fair founder Jacqueline Harvey, "It's about disrupting the established model which isn't serving us, as it's failing half of the artistic community: women."
A recent study as part of a Freelands Foundation report found that although women make up most of the graduates from the creative industry, 68% of artists represented in London galleries are male, with female artists often missing out on valuable visibility.
To read some of the reviews and posts relating to this event, check out the WIAF Instagram feed.