Women in Art

This Women’s History Month, we are excited to highlight female artists. We tapped our friend and art advisor Amanda Bhalla Wilkes, pictured above with her partner Fiona Mackay of Bhalla Munro. Amanda has shared her thoughts on five inspiring works by the brightest talents in the art scene today. 

"As an independent art advisor, I’m incredibly fortunate to engage with artists—both emerging and established—whose work challenges perspectives and ignites change. Art holds the power to reshape narratives, and in honor of International Women’s Month, I want to shine a light on five extraordinary women whose contributions continue to inspire and redefine the landscape." - Amanda

Carve out a few minutes, perhaps pour a glass of Amanda's favorite Cinsaut, and enjoy the beauty. Cheers!

Tracey Emin (b. 1963, London, England)

I first saw Emin's installation "My Bed" at the Tate in 1998—an unmade bed littered with vodka bottles and pill packets. It felt so raw, so shockingly personal, and yet, I couldn’t look away. Over the years, Emin’s fearless honesty has only deepened, her paintings now vibrating with an even greater emotional vulnerability.

 

Eunnam Hong - (b. 1979, South Korea, lives and works in New York)

Her paintings feel like stepping into a dream—surreal, luminous, and hauntingly introspective. I love how she constructs layered self-portraits, merging film, fashion, and personal identity into one enigmatic scene. Her work reminds me of how we all exist in multiple versions of ourselves, constantly shifting between who we are and who we appear to be.

 

Maja Ruznic (b. 1983, Bosnia, lives and works in New Mexico)

She paints like a mystic—her ghostly, dreamlike figures seem to emerge from another world. Her work, shaped by the trauma of war and displacement, feels deeply intuitive, like an act of healing. She reminds me of Hilma af Klint in the way she channels something unseen, something beyond the surface.

 

Simone Leigh (b. 1967, Chicago, lives and works in New York)

Her sculptures radiate strength, honoring Black womanhood through bold, larger-than-life forms. Her use of clay and bronze feels both ancient and modern, deeply rooted in history yet undeniably contemporary. I’m drawn to how her work commands space—quietly powerful, yet impossible to ignore.

 

Alice Neel (b. 1900, Pennsylvania - d. 1984, New York City)

Alice saw people—not just their faces, but their souls. She painted the overlooked, the vulnerable, the real. Her portraits have this undeniable intensity, a reminder that being truly seen is one of the most powerful things we can offer each other. 

Amanda is a dream and if you're interested in building your collection by all means, be in touch. And as for Amanda's favorite wine from Lorenza? "I love the Cinsaut! But it's a strong tie with the Picpoul Blanc. I'm a red wine girl, but the Picpoul is the one exception!"

Thank you Amanda for sharing these beautiful artists with us.