Artists Who Inspire Us
At Creative Art Works, we believe in celebrating artists who break boundaries, challenge norms, and inspire the next generation of creators. Women artists have long been overlooked or disregarded in art history, yet their contributions have shaped and redefined artistic movements. In honor of Women’s History Month, our team is highlighting some of the women artists who inspire us.
Eileen Agar was a surrealist artist who subverted the traditional notion of women as passive muses, instead positioning them as active creators. Her work and legacy reminds me that creating, whether it be through art or writing, should and can remain exploratory and joyful. She inspires me through her ability and active choice to embrace playfulness and experimentation through multiple mediums.
Born in Argentina, Agar spent much of her career in England, where she infused her work with themes of “womb magic,” using art as a celebration of creation and a metaphor for the creative process. Initially drawn to abstraction, she later embraced collage, producing dynamic, playful compositions that reflected her belief in art as a form of exploration. She once said, “Life’s meaning is lost without the spirit of play… In play, the mind is prepared to enter a world where different rules apply, to be free.”
Eileen Agar (1899-1991)
An Exceptional Occurrence (1950), Eileen Agar
“Her work and legacy reminds me that creating, whether it be through art or writing, should and can remain exploratory and joyful. She inspires me through her ability and active choice to embrace playfulness and experimentation through multiple mediums. ”
For CAW Teaching Artist Syr-Ivan Bennet, German artist Käthe Kollwitz is a powerful example of how art can be both emotional and political. Known for her masterful printmaking, paintings, sculptures, and charcoal drawings, Kollwitz captured the struggles of working-class people with striking intensity.
Syr-Ivan says, “Käthe Kollwitz's drawings resonate with raw power and yet carry emotion all at once. It’s no wonder her art was used to rally people! When I was in college, her work informed so much of my charcoal drawing. Just one piece of hers could teach you everything you wanted to know about composition and placement.”
The Mothers, sheet 6 of the series War (1922), Käthe Kollwitz
“Käthe Kollwitz’s drawings resonate with raw power and yet carry emotion all at once.”
Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945)
Teaching artist Noga Cohen finds inspiration in Eva Hesse, a groundbreaking post-minimalist artist whose sculptures and installations redefined the use of unconventional materials. Hesse’s work often echoed the human body and her own experiences as a woman, incorporating latex, fiberglass, and rope to create forms that were both fragile and visceral. Her willingness to embrace experimentation and imperfection deeply resonates with artists today. “Her innovative approach inspired me to make work with biodegradable plastic and mass-produced found objects,” says Noga.
Untitled (1970), Eva Hesse
“I admire her exploratory, process-based practice, and I try to embrace that same spirit in my own work.”
Eva Hesse (1936-1970)
An inspiration for all of us at CAW is our co-founder, Brookie Maxwell—an artist and activist whose vision continues to inform our mission. Recognizing a lack of access to the arts for homeless children, Maxwell took action, organizing creative experiences for children living in shelters in El Barrio. Maxwell was the driving force behind CAW’s first youth-created murals.
Founder of Creative Art Works, Brookie Maxwell (1956-2015)
“Maxwell’s belief that artmaking is for everyone is at the heart of CAW. She believed in the transformative power of creative youth development—before we even used that term—and wanted to offer young people the opportunity to create regardless of their circumstances.”