Women to Watch UK: A Book Arts Revolution

by London-TV in Business

A Book Arts Revolution is part of Women to Watch, an exhibition series at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington DC, USA. The London exhibition presents the artworks shortlisted by consulting curator Dr Welmoet Wartena in collaboration with the Museum’s UK outreach committee.

At a time when AI becomes a dominant tool for problem solving and decision making, and challenges how we learn and work, the book is a powerful medium and material to address subjects relevant in today’s society.

For a short run of three days only, the exhibition celebrates five women artists who work with the book as part of their artistic practice: Tamsin Green, Larissa Nowicki, Francisca Prieto, Batool Showghi and Rachel Smith. Placed in dialogue with each other as an interrogation of the role of the book, the works highlight the significance of language in how to perceive the world.

Whereas Rachel Smith takes a process-led approach to exploring the relationship between writer and reader through formal text and visual components, Francisca Prieto and Larissa Nowicki work with historical books as source material.

Working with 19thcentury publications from her own collection, Prieto uses folding techniques and architectural structures to enhance a different way of reading, and Nowicki deconstructs 20th century artist monographs to repurpose the pages and images as material for new narratives.

Tamsin Green explores the relationship between humans and their natural environment through photography, writing and walking, while Batool Showghi addresses the role of women in a cultural environment as she moves between photography, illustration, painting and textiles.

A final selection will be made by NMWA liaison curator Elizabeth Ajunwa and guest curator Tia Blassingame ahead of Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution at NMWA next year.

The programme has an impressive track record. Rose Wylie was one of the earliest UK nominations, and her participation in Women to Watch is widely recognised as a key moment in her rise to international prominence. Recent finalists have included Noemie Goudal, Mary Evans and Rana Begum.