Art On a Postcard returns with fifth annual International Women's Day auction

An art auction from emerging and established female artists will raise funds for the Hepatitis C Trust as part of International Women's Day next month.

Spanning two weeks and encompassing International Women's Day on 8 March, each of the Art on a Postcard (AOAP) guest curators will platform a selection of female artists, reimagining their relative disciplines and unique thematic approaches to fit bespoke postcard-sized designs.

Among this year's curatorial lineup is 'All About Art' podcast host, writer, and historian Alexandra Steinacker-Clark, who will bring artworks from the intimate and evocative Unskilled Worker, the wonderful and grotesque amalgamations of multidisciplinary artist Flora Bradwell and the 'mad-scientist' approach of London-based, Australian artist Eva Dixon.

Art advisory and curatorial specialists Cura Art will showcase multidisciplinary artist, model, and art director Precious Opera, the emotionally drenched reimagined icons of painter Gill Button and the winner of the 2023 Emma Thompson Women in Art Prize, Svetlana Semenova.

Vanessa Murrell is a writer, co-host of Art Fictions Podcast and co-founder of Ye Collective, a Curatorial collective co-creating cultural actions and amplifying solidarity within the art industry. For AOAP, Murrell champions the nostalgic and humorous adolescent depictions of Super Future Kid, the Chinoiserie-influenced works of sculptor and ceramicist Hannah Lim and the digitally native aesthetic sensibilities of Maja Djordjevic.

Art historian, curator, writer, and presenter of 'Jo's Art History Podcast' Jo McLaughlin has selected Rhona Taylor with her explorations of space and dimension, paint and paper collage artist Jo Hummel and cross-cultural painter Elaine Woo McGregor.

Vittoria Beltrame, an independent curator, art dealer and advisor, is auctioning works by abstract painter Rebecca Hardacker, socially driven feminist painter Roxana Halls, abstract figurative artist Gal Schindler, fashion illustrator Jessica Bird and Phoebe Boddy with her signature poppy still-lifes.

The female-led not-for-profit community, Women in Art, which aims to support, mentor, and promote women artists, will join the curatorial bill. Their auction lineup includes oil painter turned photographer Tracey Goldfinch Elson, the curiosity-driven and ever-evolving multidisciplinary artist Maayan Sophia Weisstub and portrait artist Han Han.

Art On a Postcard Founder Gemma Peppé's own selection will include sculptor and curator of the 2024 Royal Academy Summer Show, Ann Christopher RA. Christopher is accompanied by the provoking works of artist Justine Smith, the culturally rich depictions of Simona Rusheya's Bulgarian heritage, the dystopic media inspired stylings of Louise Reynolds, the surreal and uncanny figurative works of oil painter Xanthe Burdett, the familial narratives of Catherine Repko and renowned illustrator Magda Archer.

Meanwhile, CulturaLee Founder Lee Sharrock's auction is themed around Boudicca, Queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe. Her featured artists are Chloe McCarrick, Daisy Campbell, Amy Gardner, Emma Loizides, Eva Yates, Kristjana S Williams, Lauren Baker, Lee Sharrock, Louise Richardson, Lucy Smallbone, Miranda Donovan, Nadine Talalla, Ottilia, Poppy Lennox, Toni Gallagher and Trish Wylie.

Gemma Peppé comments: "I'm so proud of all the curators who've given their time and expertise to the auction. The artists they have got on board are so interesting and talented. The Trust do the most inspirational work within women's prisons, and over time, the programmes they have put together that follow from being incarcerated are not only innovative but also compassionate. It's wonderful that women in art come together to help women who are in need. Getting back their lives and self-respect is all possible when the support is there. This year's show will be one not to miss."

Proceeds from Art on a Postcard's International Women's Day 2024 auction will be directed towards supporting The Hepatitis C Trust's initiatives for women who have encountered the criminal justice system, aiding them both during incarceration and as they reintegrate into local communities. Last year, the Trust initiated its maiden Women's Community Criminal Justice programme, which has already had a remarkable impact.

2024 also marks the tenth anniversary of AOAP and efforts to redirect the wealth invested in the art industry towards uplifting charitable causes, with 100% of proceeds raised in Art on a Postcard auctions going to charity. AOAP raises money for The Hepatitis C Trust and its campaign to eliminate hepatitis C in the UK by 2030. Bidding for the International Women's Day edition will start at just £50 and open online via The Auction Collective on 27 February 2024.

There will be a preview of all the works at Bomb Factory, Covent Garden, on Tuesday 5 March where patrons can see all the work collectively in person before placing their bids.