#statues for equality

PHOTOS: 10 bronze statues of inspirational women in NYC by Statues for Equality"

Statues for Equality is a global mission to balance gender representation in public statues and honor women’s contribution to society. Gender inequality is among the most critical issues facing the world today, and having a public display of inspirational women for the world to see is a tangible step humanity can make toward a more equal society. Sadly the representation of female statues in most western countries is less than 4 percent.

On Woman’s Equality Day in New York City, Statues for Equality was launched and history was made with some of the world’s most influential woman. Ten inspirational and larger-than-life bronze female statues were unveiled on the iconic Avenue of the Americas to increase female representation in public art statues, from 3 percent to 9 percent overnight. Among these women are Oprah Winfrey, Jane Goodall, Cate Blanchett, P!nk and Nicole Kidman.

It was a long and complicated process to make sure each of the statues was a depiction of the woman precisely how she wanted to be seen. The artists began with a portrait study. To better understand the individual faces, artists Gillie and Marc began by first sketching, then painting the faces of each woman.

This process, starting in 2D, is important for developing the expressions and to allow the individual personalities to shine through when crafting the clay mold and transforming them into bronze masterpieces. Painted on fabric from around the world, they represent the diversity of womankind. Each painting has its own texture, shape and feel. From there, the artists collaborated with the women further. Each woman decided her own pose, outfit and flower on which to stand for her statue in bronze.

Gillie and Marc now want to expand their project around the world, with the goal of reaching complete gender equality of public sculptures — 50 percent —across the globe by 2025. (Statues for Equality)

Photography by Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News

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