Feminist arts to brighten gloomy alleys

gender, DIY and other art scenes in the global south

Abstract

Understanding what it means to be a woman and an artist within (sub)(post)-subcultures in the Global South is a crucial task in the present. This approach aims to generate knowledge that diverges from the unidirectional perspectives produced for (and within) Global North countries. In this context, we explore how do-it-yourself (DIY) practices, in articulation with feminist movements from a decolonial and intersectional perspective, assert themselves as forms of cultural-artistic existence, as opposed to the traditionalist notion of such practices merely as modes of resistance. In the Global South, multiple and cumulative barriers to gender representation persist within artistic and cultural scenes, a result of longstanding patriarchal structures that sustain male hegemony. This article examines the narratives and perceptions of thirty Brazilian women artists who, despite the uncertainties and the symbolic and psychological violence they face, construct significant and multifaceted forms of cultural and artistic (re)existence in Brazil.