Earlier this month, The Atlantic's Kriston Capps proposed a curious question: What if Banksy is a woman? In his following analysis, Capps went as far to claim that the cheeky British street artist is "probably" a she, chastising the public for assuming that such a dominant pop cultural force is a man.
Of course, the hypothesis is interesting -- we're certainly supportive of publications pointing out the the lack of diversity in art worlds, one of them being street art. However, Capps' claim was based on little real evidence, a factor Animal NY's Bucky Turco was quick to discuss. Nonetheless, the original essay spawned more than a few speculative treatises: see this one, this one, this one and this one.
We've commented on the Banksy hysteria before. Yes, the anonymous graffiti master is probably the most well-known figure in street art -- there was "Exit Through the Gift Shop," and now there's "Banksy Does New York," documenting his month-long NYC residence in 2013. But the endless fascination with this one character can sometimes overshadow the rest of the identifiable artists making waves in their medium.
When The Guardian proclaimed Bambi the female Banksy, we responded by highlighting 10 other female street artists worthy of the moniker. Now that Capps has opened the door to more serious talk of women in street art, we're extending our list. Behold, 24 real women pushing the limits of street art around the globe.
1. Saki&B: Born in Japan; based in London, UK
2. MadC: Germany
3. Shamsia Hassani: Afghanistan
Shamsia Hassani, 25, looks on as she works on graffiti at the French Cultural Center in Kabul on May 1, 2013. Hassani, perhaps Afghanistan's first serious graffiti artist, discovered street art after a visit by British graffiti artist Chu to the Afghan capital in 2010. (SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images) (See more of her work here)
4. Sheryo: Brooklyn, New York, USA
5 Pointz Mural by The Yok & Sheryo (See more of her work here)
5. Faith47: South Africa
A woman looks at a mural by South African artist FAITH 47 which decorates a wall in the village of Erriadh, on the Tunisian island of Djerba, on August 8, 2014, as part of the artistic project 'Djerbahood'. (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images) (See more of her work here)
6. Miso:Born in Ukraine; based in Melbourne, Australia and Tokyo, Japan
7. Swoon: Brooklyn, New York, USA
8. Olek: Born in Poland; based in USA
Children play on the Alligator playground covered by crocheted creations by US based Polish artist Agata Olek as a part of the exhibition of SESC de Artes 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 20, 2012. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/GettyImages) (See more of her work here)
9. Tatyana Fazlalizadeh: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh draws a crowd as she installs a wheat-pasting project titled "Stop Telling Women to Smile" on the sides of Northeastern University buildings. (Photo by Joanne Rathe/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (See more of her work here)
10. Lady Pink: Born in Ecuador; based in New York City, USA
11. Cake:: New York, USA
12. Shin Shin: New York, USA
Shin Shin + Elbow-toe (See more of her work here)
13. Miss Van: Born in France; based in Barcelona, Spain
14. Kashink: Paris, France
15. Lady Aiko: Born in Japan, based in New York, USA
16. Alice: Rome, Italy
A couple looks at a graffiti piece by Italian artist Alice. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images) (See more of her work here)
17. Artista: London, UK
18. Maya Hayuk: Brooklyn, New York, USA
19. Zina: Norway
20. Thieu: France
21. Elno: Spain
22. Nardstar: Cape Town, South Africa
23. Miss Hazard: Bristol, United Kingdom
24. Neonita: UK
25. Alice Mizrahi: New York, USA
BONUS: Other awesome women you should check out -- Mirah Shihadeh, Queen Andrea, Miss Me, Princess Hijab