To celebrate 100 years of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in New York, the South African street-artist Faith XLVII painted a new mural titled ‘Equalitas.’ The striking work, organized in partnership with Street Art Mankind, the United Nations as well as ILO also observes the progression of women’s rights and gender equality in the workplace.
About the Mural
Honoring those who have fought over the last century for women’s rights and equality, it makes sense that the artist chose a woman as the focal point of the mural. Set down the side of 279 E 44th street, the viewer becomes captivated by the illustration of the girl. Through her eyes you almost feel as if she lived through defining moments in history for women’s rights; from the 1920’s, when women were granted the right to vote to the 1960’s when legislation paved the way for women to live independently and as equals to men.
Although much advancement has been made to balance the masculine and feminine perspective, statistics show that in many communities women still face discrimination and lack the access to education and to employment that they’re entitled.
‘Equalitas’ is symbolic of the female voice and perspective. It depicts the empowerment of women and a continued devotion and fight to have a larger representation in decision making positions, as well as government. Rwanda, for example in its achievement of 61% women in congress, followed by Cuba and Bolivia, Today America sits a lowly 21% women in congress. The mural is a relic that will continue to inspire the movement of workplaces and institutions to become more gender responsive and work in solidarity to assist in the creation of more inclusive societies.
About the Artist
Faith XLVII is an internationally-acclaimed visual artist from South Africa who is currently based in Los Angeles. Through her work she attempts to disarm the strategies of global realpolitik, in order to advance the expression of personal truth. In this way, her work is both an internal and spiritual release that speaks to the complexities of the human condition, its deviant histories and existential search.
Channeling the international destinations that have been imprinted on her after two decades of interacting with urban environments as one of the most renowned and prolific muralists, she continues to examine our place in the world.
Using a wide range of media intended for gallery settings, her approach is explorative and substrate appropriate, including found and rescued objects, shrine construction, painting, projection mapping, video installation, printmaking and drawings.
The seeds for Faith’s works begin with a raw intimacy. Exploring the duality of human relationships, her imagery carries the profound weight of our interconnectedness.
While some people see a dilapidated building as proof that the world is purging itself of the unwanted, Faith is reclaiming these forgotten elements with a sensuality of her own and presenting them with a virtuoso’s skill-set.
Faith XLVII : Website | Instagram | Facebook
Street Art for Mankind: website | facebook | instagram
