Artist Hanna Benihoud celebrates women, their everyday lives and their stories in the public eye.
March is International Women’s Month and over in London, celebrations kicked off with the unveiling of a new outdoor art exhibition at King’s Cross.
Sixteen art benches illustrated by London-based artist Hanna Benihoud can be found all around one of the city’s major rail hubs. The benches are a part of Benihoud’s newest exhibition, HighlightHER, where ordinary women are celebrated doing extraordinary things. Women are incredible and the exhibition puts their everyday lives on full display.
“I think women just getting through life is pretty impressive in my opinion and is worth celebrating. If the public realm is a space for us all to enjoy, why can’t we all be celebrated within it?,” Benihoud told Mission.
The vibrant art exhibition showcases women in everyday scenarios. A woman in shades of pink, purple and blue applies makeup while on public transport. A mother holds a stroller of two children in place with one hand and carries another child in her other arm while going down an escalator.
There is also a humorous aspect to the exhibition. One art piece shows the inside of a women’s bag. Whatever one may need, can be found inside a women’s bag — a protein bar, a hairbrush, a charger and even Imodium. In another piece, a woman stares at the inside of her mostly empty fridge contemplating what to cook. “You see an empty fridge… she sees a potato and a challenge,” the caption of the piece reads.
The portrayal of women in the public space was Benihoud’s main concern when creating the exhibition. She comments on how public art has historically been dominated by statues, often portraying men who have accomplished a feat. She uses HighlightHER to bring attention to the seemingly simple and mundane tasks that women do everyday. Women are superheroes in their own lives and deserve recognition.
Benihoud drew from real stories to create each of the sixteen pieces in the exhibition. She was inspired by the women in her life, drawing material from conversations with her friends and family, or women she had seen while out and about. She also did a call out on Instagram where women could submit stories about themselves.
For Benihoud, the design process starts with a story she finds compelling. If there is an idea that speaks to her, she will sketch out an image that captures the emotion of the story. “I try to make the image dynamic and I spend time adding details to ground the scene in reality,” she explained. The dynamism of her image is portrayed through means such as color, as well as the facial and bodily expressions of the subjects in her work. Her images often include funny and pointed captions to further tell the story. “I find writing the hardest part as I am dyslexic but the titles and captions are so important to give the artwork a little more context. My husband is a wonderful editor and helps me ensure my writing makes sense!,” she shared.
Art celebrating women in their everyday lives should not be something that only a select number of people can see. It was important for Benihoud to have HighlightHER be visible to the public. “I rarely exhibit my work within the walls of a gallery as it instantly excludes a subset of people. Having Kings Cross as such a high profile easily accessible location is a dream come true,” said Benihoud. “Public art acts as a catalyst for conversation and connection which is vital for our culture and the fact that it happens in the real world not online I think makes it extra special,” she continued.
HighlightHER is Benihoud’s largest exhibition to date. She founded her art studio, Hanna Benihoud Studio, in 2016 after leaving her full-time job as an architect. Overtime, her art projects have become more ambitious in scope and scale. “In some ways nothing has changed. I am still fueled by making stuff and taking up space in public. But as I have got older I have found the confidence to be more opinionated and this has been carried through into my work. My projects are more ambitious, whether that be in profile, such as located in Kings Cross or materiality like working with steel creating sculpture,” said Benihoud about the evolution of her art studio. Building a reputation within the art industry can be a slow and difficult process. Through the years she has been able to foster relationships with clients and work on her craft overtime, making exhibitions such as HighlightHER possible.
Projects to the scale of HighlightHER are just the beginning for Benihoud. She wants to continue exploring how she can bring feminism and community together through art.
“My dream for the future is to create more permanent work integrated within the fabric of the city. I want to be a small part of creating a feminist city that is more equitable for everyone as I really believe artists have an important role to play in creating this change,” she said.
All imagery courtesy of the John Shuttock.
