Found: 11 of the Most Inspiring Female Illustrators on Instagram
Not news: Instagram can be a particularly demoralising place for women. While there are plenty of uplifting quotes and hilarious memes to be lol'd at, there are also expressions of anti-female politics, misinformation about topics that tend to affect women more than men (see: healthy eating in relation to body image) and a general lack of diversity.
The magic thing about Instagram is, of course, that you can curate your follows as you see fit. This means curating a feed packed with accounts that leave you inspired. For us, there are a select bunch of female illustrators we turn to on the regular for exactly this. These women hold important issues like female empowerment and equality. Not only is what they create beautiful but happy-making, too.
The next time you're feeling off after an Instagram scroll-a-thon, consider adding one (if not all) of these wonderful women to your follows.
Stephanie Deangelis
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br39-aMnwtM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Deangelis' signature style emphasises a different kind of body shape than what you might be used to seeing on Instagram. She represents women doing life—you'll find her characters doing everything from hanging around in leg warmers to indulging in self-care.
Nourie Flayhan
https://www.instagram.com/p/BulzLsvFJeG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Flayhan has a whimsical vibe that translates to a penchant for delicate blooms and the trademark four-eye detail you see above. She also plays around with doctoring photographs—some of the most beautiful IOHO are reimaginings of her beloved teta.
Amber Vittoria
https://www.instagram.com/p/Brlb1jTlhPZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Vittoria's Instagram bio reads: "Dismantling societal tropes set upon women". Expect stunning, inclusive and vivid images created in a style that is all the artist's own. Vittoria also penned (and illustrated) a children's book that celebrates individuality called With Beautiful Large Feet.
Frances Cannon
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuuQ9lWlYrS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
We love this self-described queer artist for her inclusive take on women's issues. In addition to her mostly black and white illustrations, Cannon also publishes beautiful poetry, much of which comes from her book Please Don’t Publish a Book About Me.
Daiana Ruiz
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br5P9kTBCvO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Daiana's work has a retro flair but is thoroughly modern, occasionally touching on political issues. She's based in Argentina so many of her captions are in Spanish but even if you're not bilingual you can still enjoy her sublime creations.
Rupi Kaur
https://www.instagram.com/p/BukZ_5BnnP6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
You likely know Kaur for her arresting poetry, but did you realise she also sketches the drawings that run alongside them? This one, created for International Women's Day, is powerful, as is all of her work. A must-follow for commentary on everything from being the child of an immigrant to love.
Isabelle Feliu
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmyWgnEn90O/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Feliu's work is sometimes abstract, always incredibly beautiful. She has a particular knack for creating arresting colour palettes that draw you in. We particularly love her star sign-inspired pieces but her fashion illustrations are equally delightful. You can now shop a selection of her work at Bed Threads.
Erin Aniker
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwCklxvhpEh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This London-based illustrator has a way with colour, mixing brights and pastels to eye-catching effect. She does a particularly good job of representing a range of skin tones and body types which we appreciate. Warning: Her animations are so cute you could lose a lunch break scrolling.
Ashley Lukashevsky
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmBhuu-n_ln/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Lukashevsky says in her bio that she's about "illustrating to dismantle patriarchal nonsense + systemic racism". She's responsible for some of the most visually stunning pieces we've seen in a long time, taking aim at body image, equal pay, immigration and more.
Eleanor Hardiman
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be0gMGajXKa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Hardiman's work, in a word, is dreamy. A go-to for pretty, feminine illustrations that seek out the beauty in everyday life. Simply stunning, the handwrought detail is impressive. Busy and overworked? Soothe your frazzled brain by looking at Hardiman's feed for a few minutes
Maria Laura Fedi
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgDrPBLDJ2b/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Fedi's signature style involves female characters with no discernible facial features which make them everywomen of sorts. Her colour palettes are often soft and soothing to behold (another good follow if you like scrolling through inspiring illustrations as stress-relief).
Loved this? Check out these dreamy ceramicists on Instagram.
