We are very proud of this contribution from the very passionate and talented artist Megan Amelie aged 7 from Manchester in England. To have such a young artist participate in our first ever issue of ASLI Magazine is an honour and is really what this is all about. Engaging further generations of artists to use their art to communicate to the world.

Megan’s Mother Erin Jack is also an artist based in Chorlton, we asked if Erin could help Megan answer our questions and she was delighted to participate in this celebration of women edition.

Here is what Megan had to say:

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

“I live in Chorlton with my Mum, little sister Madeleine and little brother Elliott. I’ve always loved sketching, doodling and painting. I drew my first stick man when I was 1. Our family has always been very creative and arty.”

What motivated you to deal with the subject of being a girl  and stereotypes in your art?

“I was inspired by another artist, I wanted to paint a girl with a shadow.”

Tell us why you chose this submission?

“I was very proud of it, I wanted to show people what I could do.”

Why have you chosen the medium you use for your art?

“I feel more comfortable using paints”

What is your process when creating?

“I like to sketch out my ideas first so that I can get my painting just right”

Who are you influenced by? What inspired you and your art?

“One of my favourite artists that I learnt about in school is Hundertwasser. I like that he never painted anything ‘real’ and that he never used just one colour. His paintings make me feel happy, there is a lot of colour and light in his work and it inspires me. I like my mums artwork too.”

What does feminism mean to you and do you consider yourself to be a feminist?

“I completely believe in feminism. There are no differences between men and women. In our home, we like what we like and it’s that simple.”

Do you feel women have to conform to social norms and stereotypes to be taken seriously?

“I certainly don’t think that girls or women should be anything but themselves. Its wrong because women (and men) should be able to be what they want and be taken seriously. because everyone is a person.”

Do you think that women and men are equal in today’s societies around the world?

“Once I wanted to play football at break time in school and the other players told me it’s a boys game. I hated it because it wasn’t right, it made me upset. I can play brilliantly! I don’t think it’s a boys game at all. I suppose that stuff still happens for grown ups too.”

What causes and world issues are you passionate about?

“I’m quite passionate about homelessness. and families that don’t have what they need. me and my family make back packs for homeless people so we can help them a bit. I like being kind.”

What made you want to get involved with our non-profit ART SAVES LIVES INTERNATIONAL mission?

“I want people to see that women and girls, like me, have equal rights and can create a world of imagination through art!”

What are your goals as with your art?

“I just want to keep painting because i enjoy it”

What is your next project or piece that you are working on?

“I’d like to try some kind of clay modelling and see if i like doing that too.”

And is there anything you would like to add to your interview?

“If any of you out there think that some things are for girls and some for boys, then I’ll tell you this, it’s wrong! because boys and girls are just as great as each other and they can choose to be whatever they want.”