The Great Women Artists
Arts
About
Created off the back of @thegreatwomenartists Instagram, this podcast is all about celebrating women artists. Presented by art historian and curator, Katy Hessel, this podcast interviews artists on their career, or curators, writers, or general art lovers, on the female artist who means the most to them.
Episodes
- Venice Biennale special: Lubaina Himid
Lubaina Himid discusses her British Council Commission for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026. Her installation will feature large multi-panel paintings and explore themes of welcome and unease, made in collaboration with Mag…
- Briony Fer on Sophie Taeuber-Arp
Art historian Briony Fer discusses Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Fer explores Taeuber-Arp's involvement in the Dada movement and her contributions to modernism, focusing on her work with form and color.
- Deborah Levy on Gertrude Stein
On The Great Women Artists podcast, author Deborah Levy talks about the pioneering writer Gertrude Stein. Levy discusses Stein's impact on modernism and her new novel, My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein.
- Alyce Mahon on Dorothea Tanning
Art historian Alyce Mahon discusses the Surrealist Dorothea Tanning, covering her life and artistic journey from Illinois to Paris, NYC, Sedona, and postwar France. Mahon, a Surrealism scholar, has also published a book on Tanning.
- Sonnet Stanfill on Elsa Schiaparelli
Sonnet Stanfill, Senior Curator of Fashion at the V&A, discusses Elsa Schiaparelli. The episode covers Schiaparelli's life and work as a designer, artist, and pioneer, as well as the "Elsa Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art" exhibition.
- Diane Apostolos-Cappadona on Mary Magdalene
Art historian Diane Apostolos-Cappadona discusses Mary Magdalene in art. She explores how Mary Magdalene has been portrayed by artists over centuries and how her image has evolved. Apostolos-Cappadona highlights Magdalene's diverse depicti…
- Meryl Tankard on Pina Bausch
Choreographer Meryl Tankard speaks about her mentor and friend, the legendary dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch. Tankard also discusses "Kontakthof – Echoes of '78", a new encounter with Bausch's piece "Kontakthof".
- Michaelina Wautier told by Katlijne Van der Stighelen (part 1) and Julien Domercq (part 2)
This episode of The Great Women Artists explores the life and work of 17th-century artist Michaelina Wautier. Guests Katlijne Van der Stighelen and Julien Domercq discuss her rediscovery and contributions to art history through her mytholo…
- Dita Amory on Helene Schjerfbeck
Curator Dita Amory discusses the life and work of Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck, the subject of the exhibition "Seeing Silence: The Paintings of Helene Schjerfbeck" at The Met. The episode explores Schjerfbeck's artistic career, her mo…
- Nicholas Fox Weber on Anni Albers
Art historian and author Nicholas Fox Weber discusses the life and work of textile artist Anni Albers. Weber details his experience knowing Albers personally and explores her artistic legacy and innovative contributions to modern textile d…
- Katherine Rundell – World Book Day Special!
Author and academic Katherine Rundell joins The Great Women Artists podcast for a World Book Day special to discuss her career, children's literature, and her works including Super Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne.
- Tracey Emin
Tracey Emin joins The GWA Podcast to discuss her career, her work as an educator at TKE Studios, and her major exhibition "A Second Life" opening at Tate Modern. The episode explores her artistic history, key exhibitions, and her perspecti…
- Audiobook teaser: The Story of Art without Men – for younger readers!
This episode features a teaser for "The Story of Art without Men: An illustrated guide to amazing women artists," an adaptation for younger readers. It highlights artworks and artists from the Renaissance to the present day, with mentions…
- How to Live an Artful Life: December
This episode features a teaser from Katy Hessel's audiobook 'How to Live an Artful Life,' focusing on the December section which explores the theme of joy. It includes insights and exercises from artists such as Laurie Anderson, Louise Bou…
- Bonus: Katy Hessel & Es Devlin
This episode features a conversation between Katy Hessel and artist and stage designer Es Devlin. They discuss Devlin's renowned work, including large-scale installations and designs for musicians like Beyoncé, and explore themes of living…
- Magda Keaney on Julia Margaret Cameron
Magda Keaney discusses the influential 19th-century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron on The Great Women Artists Podcast, highlighting Cameron's unique style and impact on the art form.
- Megan Fontanella on Gabriele Münter
Curator Megan Fontanella discusses the monumental exhibition of German Expressionist Gabriele Münter's work, titled
- Ekow Eshun on Toni Morrison, Octavia E. Butler, Hilary Mantel, Wangechi Mutu, and more
In this episode of The Great Women Artists podcast, Ekow Eshun shares insights into the women writers and artists who have shaped his life and career. He highlights figures such as Toni Morrison, Octavia E. Butler, Hilary Mantel, Wangechi…
- Sally Mann
Sally Mann, a distinguished contemporary photographer, joins The Great Women Artists podcast to explore her celebrated work. She discusses her artistic evolution, from poetry to photography, her use of traditional techniques, and her profo…
- Eva Helene Pade
This episode features a conversation with young Danish painter Eva Helene Pade, known for her large-scale, abstract figurative paintings. Pade discusses her influences, including art movements, ancient myths, and ballet, and how she reinte…
- Hilton Als on Jean Rhys
Hilton Als, a writer and critic, discusses his exhibition on Jean Rhys, a Creole-British writer known for her stories of women in exile. The exhibition at Michael Werner Gallery features works by contemporary artists.
- How to Live an Artful Life (Audiobook Taster!)
This episode features a teaser of Katy Hessel's audiobook, "How to Live an Artful Life." It includes the introduction and the first six days of October, a month themed around transformation, with contributions from notable artists and writ…
- Tania Bruguera
This episode features artist Tania Bruguera, known for her installation and performance art that tackles freedom of expression, immigration, totalitarianism, and human rights. Bruguera discusses how her work challenges political control an…
- Emily Kam Kngwarray as told by Kelli Cole [Exhibition walkthrough at Tate Modern!]
Curator Kelli Cole discusses the exhibition of Australian artist Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern, Europe's first large-scale presentation of her work. Cole explores Kngwarray's career, from her late start in painting to her significant…
- Meret Oppenheim as told by Lisa Wenger
Psychologist Lisa Wenger, niece of the artist Meret Oppenheim, shares insights into Oppenheim's life and Surrealist-associated works, such as the fur-lined teacup and saucer.
- Lois Dodd
The Great Women Artists podcast features American painter Lois Dodd, discussing her art which focuses on everyday surroundings like landscapes and interiors. Dodd's work, created from her home and studio in New Jersey, captures overlooked…
- Lorna Simpson
This episode features American artist Lorna Simpson, known for her pioneering multimedia work in photography, painting, and video since the 1980s. Simpson discusses her approach to art-making, which often fuses text and image, obscures ide…
- Michaela Yearwood-Dan
This episode features an interview with painter Michaela Yearwood-Dan, known for her large-scale, textured works that combine botanical imagery with abstraction. Yearwood-Dan discusses her artistic evolution, her exhibition "No Time for De…
- Danielle Mckinney
This episode features artist Danielle McKinney, known for her small, intimate paintings of women in moments of rest and solitude. McKinney, who transitioned to painting from photography during the pandemic, creates atmospheric works that i…
- Bharti Kher
The Great Women Artists Podcast features artist Bharti Kher, whose work spans painting, sculpture, and installation, often exploring hybrid beings and using materials like bindis and bangles. Her art, influenced by mythology and womanhood,…
- Andrew Hottle on Sylvia Sleigh
Art historian Andrew Hottle discusses the work of Welsh-born artist Sylvia Sleigh, focusing on her feminist realist paintings and contributions to the Women's Liberation Movement. Hottle is compiling Sleigh's catalogue raisonné and has wri…
- Katherine Bradford
The Great Women Artists podcast features an interview with New York painter Katherine Bradford. Bradford discusses her journey as an artist, her distinctive paintings of swimming pools and cosmic skies, and how her work explores universal…
- Rose Wylie
This episode features an interview with acclaimed painter Rose Wylie, discussing her life, artistic journey, and distinctive style. Wylie, born in 1934, talks about her career, challenges she faced as a female artist, and the evolution of…
- Jenny Saville
This episode features renowned painter Jenny Saville discussing her artistic practice. Saville is known for her large-scale paintings of the human body, exploring its complexities and transformations. The episode touches on her education,…
- Sheila Heti on Jenny Holzer, Berthe Morisot, Margaux Williamson, and more
Writer Sheila Heti joins the Great Women Artists Podcast to discuss various artists including Jenny Holzer, Berthe Morisot, Margaux Williamson, Joan Didion, Elena Ferrante, Agnes Varda, and Sophie Calle.
- Barbara Walker
This episode features British artist Barbara Walker, known for her empathetic works exploring power dynamics, erased histories, and societal issues through various mediums. Walker's art often involves deep research into public archives, hi…
- Shahzia Sikander
The Great Women Artists Podcast interviews artist Shahzia Sikander, celebrated for her work that reclaims narratives and subverts traditions, particularly in neo-miniature art. Her practice spans painting, sculpture, and animation, influen…
- Katharina Grosse
This episode features German painter Katharina Grosse, discussing her unique approach to site-specific, colorful spray-painted artworks that redefine traditional painting. Grosse's career spans major exhibitions globally, influenced by pos…
- Cecilia Vicuña
This episode features artist and poet Cecilia Vicuña, discussing her politically oriented "arte precario" which uses natural materials and the Andean quipu system to highlight environmental vulnerability and the importance of community. An…
- Maria Balshaw on Museums (+ Tracey Emin, Frida Kahlo, and more!)
Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, shares insights on museums, their historical significance, and their evolving role in contemporary society. The discussion also touches upon art history, representation in art, and Balshaw's new book, "Gath…
- Audrey Flack (1931–2024)
This episode of The Great Women Artists podcast remembers Audrey Flack (1931-2024), an influential American artist. It includes interviews recorded before her death, highlighting her work in sculpture, photo-realist painting, and her explo…
- Bonus episode: Witches in Art
This bonus Halloween episode of The Great Women Artists features Professor Lyndal Roper discussing the image of witches in art, their historical origins, and societal perceptions. Roper, an expert on witchcraft history and author of "Witch…
- Merve Emre on Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf
Writer Merve Emre joins The Great Women Artists podcast to discuss the lives and works of sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf. Emre, an expert on Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group, explores how Bell and Woolf broke from Victorian…
- Emerson Bowyer on Camille Claudel
Emerson Bowyer, curator and writer, joins The Great Women Artists podcast to discuss Camille Claudel. Bowyer, a specialist in 18th- and 19th-century French art, has curated exhibitions on Claudel, highlighting her significant contributions…
- Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova
Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founding member of Pussy Riot, discusses her art, activism, and fight against the far-right and Putin. The episode covers her experiences in the group, including their protest performance that led to her imprisonment.
- Sophia Jansson on Tove Jansson
Sophia Jansson discusses her aunt, Tove Jansson, the renowned creator of the Moomins. Tove Jansson was a Swedish-speaking Finnish writer and artist known for her illustrations and novels which explored themes of nature and life philosophy.
- The Story of Art Without Men (Abstract Expressionism -- Audiobook!)
This episode features an excerpt of Katy Hessel's chapter on Abstract Expressionism from her book, The Story of Art Without Men, coinciding with its paperback release.
- Cat Bohannon on the female body
Cat Bohannon, author of "Eve," discusses the historical under-representation of women in scientific research and its impact on understanding the female body. The episode explores how this exclusion, spanning from evolutionary biology to mo…
- Amy Hale on Ithell Colquhoun
Dr. Amy Hale, an expert in myths and occultism, discusses the surrealist artist Ithell Colquhoun. Colquhoun was a painter, novelist, and poet whose work focused on spiritual transcendence and the occult, and she became involved with the Su…
- Sam Taylor-Johnson
This episode features photographer, filmmaker, and director Sam Taylor-Johnson, discussing her artistic journey from 1990s British art scene to her feature films. It explores themes of internal pain, mortality, celebrity, and the human con…