Power Is

Digital Collage inspired by women politicians and journalists

My two passions in life are art and politics, so I wanted to take the chance to discuss the one through the other!

For us Finns, Sanna Marin is a singular figure. Against all odds, she managed to maintain her personal popularity through ordeals like COVID, Russia's war on Ukraine and our own, eventful path into NATO.

Any Finn could instantly recognize her from those hands alone!

There was, of course grumbling about Marin's 'lipstick cabinet' (seen on the camera screen here), her greener, left-leaning politics and her partying.

But for many women, the era of Marin, Kallas (Est), Anderson (Swe), Arndern (NZ), Merkel (Ger) and van der Leyen (EU) felt like some kind of an arrival. Weather we agreed with their policies or not, really.

Turns out, from a feminist point-of-view, their years were a happy holiday rather than a new normal. A disingenuous anti-DEI wave has taken off from American shores and seems to include strong misogynistic currents.

With the press watching these irresponsible actors and holding them accountable, my hope is that women and trans+ politicians will soon (again) rise to the peak of power.

As long as both our politicians AND journalists remain free and unbothered by silencing - or purchasing! attempts.

Ps. I hid the date of the International Women's Day in this collage - did you spot it?

Original images:

Anna May Wong by WHA. United Archives, Germany - via Europeana.

Sanna Marin by Lauri Kotila, Finnish Prime Minister's Office, 2019. CC-BY-4.0

'The Five' by Lauri Heikkinen, Finnish Prime Minister's Office, 2002. CC-BY-4.0