An Art-centred Sisterhood

What happens when you bring a big group of female artists together? According to the women at Canvas Connections, the result is an explosion of creativity! We hear from a handful of members about the benefits of being part of an art collective.

- MEGAN HOBSON

What started with seven female artists and an idea to form a collective supporting women in the arts has flourished into a community and sisterhood. At Canvas Connections, 17 female artists in Singapore come together to share their learnings and let their ideas run wild while they explore their unique art styles. Sponsored by Zubaadhi Studio & Gallery, the artists also have the opportunity to build their portfolios, show off their work throughout the year and share an art space.

RAJUL SHAH, a Founding Member of the collective, explains: “The basic premise for creating the collective was to support each other in terms of showing our work. It’s much more economical for a group of artists to rent a space than an individual artist. We also wanted to build a community of artists where we could challenge and inspire one another. I love this group of ladies, everyone is supportive – there are no ‘egos’; there is only artistic sisterhood.”

Creating a supportive community

All of the women in the collective highlight how much they have flourished through the supportive environment of Canvas Connections. LISA LARSON LEE, an intuitive abstract artist originally from Canada, says that being part of the group removes the isolation that artists can often grapple with.