The urgency of Feminism

Jane Oliveira, Portugal

I decided to photograph different women on the streets of Lisbon (where I live) and Paris (which I visited recently), asking these women to freely express themselves with their hands as I did a portrait of them. As the result got more and more interesting, since everyone expressed themselves very differently (and some of them opted for not using their hands), I decided to add a written element and I wrote answers as if I had interviewed them, asking them what their opinion about feminism was. Through my imagination, I wrote what feminism means to each one of them. This body of work can be a mirror of how we women still see this political movement. We see it in many ways, and, beyond that, there are still many myths about what it truly stands for.
This project is therefore a documental project, combining portrait photography with fictional writing.
I hope these photographs and the small answers combined will allow us – women AND men – to think about how we see feminism and how we see equal rights for all. Even modern societies have a long way to go when it comes to the rights of non-male humans. I hope this body of works helps us reflect on it.
As an artist, I like to focus my photography and writing on social and political issues, which can be directly interconnect with something I’m currently experiencing myself or things I observe, and which somehow touch my soul.

Discover more: Shortlist 2022