‘HighlightHER’ is an illustration project celebrating the remarkable moments in the ordinary lives of women.
The project is not highlighting the first woman who went to space; instead, celebrating the woman who expertly applies a full face of makeup on the tube during rush hour. Nor is it focusing on the women who changed laws; its about applauding the woman who juggles three loads of laundry, prepares packed lunches, and schedules a doctor’s appointment—all before 9 a.m. These daily feats are nothing short of ordinarily extraordinary.
During the summer of 2023, in America Ferrera’s monologue in the Barbie movie, she asked, “What about ordinary Barbie?”—a question that struck a collective nerve. Then, in the summer of 2024, women embraced ‘Brat Summer,’ encapsulated by a strappy top and a Bic lighter—the epitome of the everyday. There is something about the ‘ordinariness’ of womanhood that is actually quite magical.
This International Women’s Day, I wanted to celebrate the quiet chaos and joy of women’s daily lives. I gathered stories through conversations with women—both offline and via social media—transforming the moments they shared into illustrations to be exhibited in King’s Cross.
My hope is that this project elevates the inner lives of women, so rarely depicted in the public realm, and celebrates the magic of the mundane.
