LONDON.- UN Women UK, the United Nations organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, is preparing to celebrate the fourth year of The Art of Empowerment. Created by Maria Baibakova of Baibakov Art Projects, The Art of Empowerment is a fundraising and awareness programme which partners with leading women artists to create limited edition works on an annual basis in support of the mission of UN Women UK. This year, the programme presents a new edition by Marina Perez Simão. Proceeds from the sale of the edition will benefit UN Women’s work in Afghanistan.

The fourth artist to be commissioned by Baibakova is the celebrated female artist, Marina Perez Simão, who known for her luminous oil paintings that pulse with a magnetic, musical, and hypnotic presence. This work presents a symbol of hope—a beacon for a future not yet mapped out but filled with infinite possibilities.

Simão’s Untitled, 2021 has been produced in a limited run of 30 editions plus 2 artist proofs. Utilizing stitched fabric, Untitled references the timeless craft of women across cultures, and symbolizes their work through the ages.

The work that Simão created for The Art of Empowerment was unveiled on 8th December 2021 at Pace Gallery’s new flagship space at 5 Hanover Square in Mayfair, London. The work will be available to buy from 9th December 2020 at UN Women UK, at a price of £5,000.

Maria Baibakova joined UN Women UK as Special Advisor for Arts and Philanthropy in 2018 and leads The Art of Empowerment, working with artists who identify as women to create bespoke limited-edition artworks made out of fabric, on an annual basis, in support of UN Women UK. Baibakova is known for her support of women in the creative industries, through her work as Founding Chair of the Artemis Council at the New Museum and on Executive Committee of the Association of Women in the Arts in London (AWITA).

Maria Baibakova, Founding Chair of The Art of Empowerment says: “I am thrilled to be working with Marina Perez Simão for the fourth installment of The Art of Empowerment – an initiative that is very dear to my heart. 2021 has been a difficult year for women and girls around the world, but nowhere was this felt more than in Afghanistan. UN Women is the only women’s rights organisation still operating on the ground in Afghanistan, so it is as urgent as ever that we raise funds to support its work. Marina’s work is an exercise in freedom, and we are grateful to have her lend her voice to amplify our project at this critical time for women and girls.”

Marina Perez Simão has developed a working process based fundamentally on the accumulation and juxtaposition of memories and images. By combining personal experiences and multiple references stemming from fields such as philosophy, literature, and journalism, the artist collects certain narratives in order to edit them through pictorial means that do not belong to any predefined language; rather, they develop with an organic practice, which combines thematic density and a delicate treatment.

Marina Perez Simão says: “I am very honoured to be part of a project that strives for the wellbeing and freedom of women. My work is born from my own attempt to exercise freedom, so this project is very close to my heart. The fight to end gender-based violence and all associated forms of abuse against women is a responsibility for us all alike. Collectively we should be engaged toward defending women’s rights to make their own decisions, and to live life to its full extent with dignity. At the core it is that very mindset that a better reality is always possible. It’s from that belief that freedom is born.”

The goal of The Art of Empowerment is to raise awareness and funds in support of UN Women UK’s flagship programmes that focus on eradicating gender inequality by 2030 through activities in five strategic action areas: political and economic empowerment, planning and budgeting for gender-related causes such as Make Every Woman and Girl Count, ending violence against women and girls, and supporting women in leadership positions to promote peace and security around the world. The artworks created to support this programme serve as a celebration of progress made in gender equality, and highlight the work still to be done in this area.

Since August 15th 2021, the women and girls of Afghanistan have suffered a drastic roll-back of their basic human rights. The overwhelming majority of Afghan girls are prevented from attending high schools; the majority of Afghan women are prevented from going back to their jobs; reports are coming out of violent backlashes against women peaceful protestors. Women are denied freedom of movement and resources to protect them from gender-based violence - which is the highest in the world.




UN Women has been providing life-saving services to Afghan women and girls for over 10 years, and is now the only major organisation remaining on the ground in Kabul, supporting grassroots women's groups as well as individuals in need.

UN Women has been working for over 10 years in Afghanistan to:

• run women and children's protection centres, where survivors of abuse can urgently seek refuge, medical and psychological support;

• work with women lawyers and judges to provide legal aid in prosecution cases against perpetrators of gender-based violence;

• provide education and skill-building, including leadership training and coaching for women, and support to sell their produce;

• deliver workshops with grassroots activists, leaders, men and boys, to change perceptions around gender equality and ensure women have political and social rights.
These support services are a critical lifeline for women who have otherwise been abandoned by governments and organisations alike.

Claire Barnett, Executive Director of UN Women UK, says: "I am delighted to be launching our fourth year of the hugely impactful Art of Empowerment initiative with this powerful piece from Marina Perez Simão. Marina's work is inspired by the very values that make UN Women's work what it is - the fight for every woman and girl to have the right to safety, choice and a voice. In a year in which we have seen the rapid rolling back of women's rights in Afghanistan, the subject of freedom for people of all genders has never been more important. The funds raised from the sale of this edition will be hugely important in helping us to reach more Afghan women and girls, and support them to protect the freedoms they have fought so hard to win."

Maria Baibakova is an arts entrepreneur and activist based in London. In 2008, Baibakova founded Baibakov Art Projects (BAP) in London, Moscow, and New York - an organization that is committed to the support of contemporary art.
Baibakova began her work with UN Women UK as Special Advisor for Arts and Philanthropy in 2018.

She actively supports women in the creative industries, including via her previous role
as a Trustee of Barnard College for women affiliated with Columbia University in New York, where she established a scholarship for students pursuing the study of art history. Additionally, she is the Founding Chair of the Artemis Council for women artists at the New Museum in New York, which has organized over thirty five solo shows of women artists including the first-ever comprehensive show in the US of the renowned British artist, Sarah Lucas, at the New Museum in 2018.

In the UK, Baibakova is a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Women in the Arts in London (AWITA), and is on the Future Contemporaries Council of the Serpentine Galleries dedicated to steering a young generation of patrons to support emerging artists.

Baibakova is an active investor in the art and tech sector, previously serving as Strategic Director and on the Board of Directors of Artspace.com. She is currently an investor in ArtBinder and an adviser to ARTA.

Baibakova was named one of the 100 most influential people in the art world by Art+Auction magazine In 2009 and 2014; “30 Most Influential People in the Art World Under 30 Years Old” by ARTINFO in 2012; "100 Most Powerful Women in the Art World" by Artnet in 2014, and “40 Under 40” by Apollo Magazine in 2017.

Born in Moscow and raised in New York, Baibakova holds a BA summa cum laude in Art History from Barnard College in New York, an MA from The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, and an MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston. Baibakova has been living in London since 2013 with her husband and two sons.