As part of the Women’s Month commemorations, Imagen de Chile has invited eight female writers and eight female illustrators to pay tribute to eight other great Chilean women. The result is a network of 24 women united by the passion and talent that moves them to create a better future for the world.
To commemorate Women’s Month, Imagen de Chile has invited eight female writers and eight female illustrators to pay tribute to eight other outstanding Chilean women who, through their work in the fields of science, sport, entrepreneurship, and culture, are helping to create future. The result is H8MAGES, available at the website: https://marcachile.cl/creating-future-historias/.
“We want to pay tribute to Chilean female talent, bringing together 24 women who, from different fields, are contributing to creating future. Talented women who, through their initiatives and ventures, are crossing boundaries. They have been portrayed by talented national illustrators and their stories have been written by Chilean authors. This is an invitation to these 24 women to connect through the strength and passion that moves them to create a better future,” said Constanza Cea, executive director of Imagen de Chile.
The honorees are:
- Astronomer Laura Pérez, doctor in Astrophysics who is recognized around the world for her discoveries and for opening a window to the universe from Chilean skies. Illustrated by: Paloma Amaya. Text by Carolina Pareja;
- Founder and general manager of Infiniski, Loretxu García, who is developing bioclimatic architecture and sustainable construction projects to improve people’s life quality. Illustrated by Carola Josefa. Text by Julieta Marchant;
- Rapa Nui concert pianist Mahani Teave, who has brought the music and culture of Rapa Nui to the whole world, as well as teaching the younger generations at the school she has created on the island. Illustrated by Trinidad Guzmá Text by María Paz Rodríguez;
- National Literature Prize winner, Isabel Allende, the most popular Spanish-language writer in the world and a tireless promotor of women’s rights. Illustrated by Holly Jolley. Text by Teresa Paneque;
- Captain of the Chilean women’s football team, Christiane Endler, the best goalkeeper in the world according to The Best. Illustrated by Paulina Andrade. Text by Constanza Michelson;
- Chilean biologist and ecologist Bárbara Saavedra, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Illustrated by Jo Jimé Text by Claudia Andrade;
- Chef and the first Chilean woman to obtain a Michelin star for the Nub restaurant in Tenerife, Spain, Fernanda Fuentes. Illustrated by Camila Olivares. Text by Isabel Ossa;
- Author of “My Magical Elf”, Bernardita Astaburuaga, who, together with a great team, has created a whole world of play, so that children grow up playing and learning as a family. Illustrated by Consuelo Ovalle. Text by Antonella Andreani.
Speaking about the initiative, Paloma Amaya stated that developing her illustration of astrophysicist Laura Pérez was an honor, because she is fascinated by everything to do with studying the universe. “I always incorporate into my work elements related to the sky and that magical feeling of mystery that makes me look at it and wonder what lies beyond what we can see,” the illustrator explained. “I love this kind of initiative, because I grew up in the 1990s with very few female role models – not because they didn’t exist, but because they had no visibility. I think that it would have helped me a lot on my path and with my self-esteem to have more easily seen and recognized women among my peers, who were strong, independent, idealistic, creative fighters, who were the same as me, people who sometimes came from places that were very similar to where I came from,” she said.
Fernanda Fuentes, the Chilean chef living in Spain, also welcomed the initiative. “It’s an honor to have been part of this tribute and to be among women who I admire and respect. It’s extremely important that visibility be given to the work that so many women are doing in different fields. In this way, we can serve as examples for and empower other women, and pave the way for future generations, so that they see that it’s possible to break through without questioning their abilities because of their gender,” she added.
This isn’t the only initiative that Imagen de Chile has promoted to position our country from the point of view of Chilean talent. Since 2019, the organization has sought to articulate Chile through the talent of the Chilean people, via the “Chile Creating Future” strategy. This has included the Chileans Creating Future network, Chile Creating Future working groups, and different campaigns that have aimed to showcase Chilean talent. “We have developed a series of initiatives like the ‘Chile, Creativity that Inspires the World’ campaign, which seeks to highlight creative Chilean talent abroad, through our poets Gabriela Mistral, Nicanor Parra, and Pablo Neruda,” stated the executive director of Imagen de Chile, Constanza Cea.
