25 Women Pushing The Limits Of Street Art Around The World

Earlier this month, The Atlantic's Kriston Capps proposed a curious question: What if Banksy is a woman? In his following analysis, Capps went as far to claim that the cheeky British street artist is "probably" a she, chastising the public for assuming that such a dominant pop cultural force is a man.

Of course, the hypothesis is interesting -- we're certainly supportive of publications pointing out the the lack of diversity in art worlds, one of them being street art. However, Capps claim was based on little real evidence, a factor Animal NY's Bucky Turco was quick to discuss. Nonetheless, the original essay spawned more than a few speculative treatises: see this one, this one, this one and this one.

We've commented on the Banksy hysteria before. Yes, the anonymous graffiti master is probably the most well-known figure in street art -- there was "Exit Through the Gift Shop," and now there's "Banksy Does New York," documenting his month-long NYC residence in 2013. But the endless fascination with this one character can sometimes overshadow the rest of the identifiable artists making waves in their medium.

When The Guardian proclaimed Bambi the female Banksy, we responded by highlighting 10 other female street artists worthy of the moniker. Now that Capps has opened the door to more serious talk of women in street art, we're extending our list. Behold, 24 real women pushing the limits of street art around the globe.

1. Saki&B: Born in Japan; based in London, UK

saki street art

(See more of her work here)

2. MadC: Germany

madc street art

(See more of her work here)

3. Shamsia Hassani: Afghanistan

Shamsia Hassani, 25, looks on as she works on graffiti at the French Cultural Center in Kabul on May 1, 2013. Hassani, perhaps Afghanistan's first serious graffiti artist, discovered street art after a visit by British graffiti artist Chu to the Afghan capital in 2010. (SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images) (See more of her work here)

4. Sheryo: Brooklyn, New York, USA

sheryo street art

5 Pointz Mural by The Yok & Sheryo (See more of her work here)

5. Faith47: South Africa

faith 47 street art

A woman looks at a mural by South African artist FAITH 47 which decorates a wall in the village of Erriadh, on the Tunisian island of Djerba, on August 8, 2014, as part of the artistic project 'Djerbahood'. (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images) (See more of her work here)

6. Miso:Born in Ukraine; based in Melbourne, Australia and Tokyo, Japan

miso street art

(See more of her work here)

7. Swoon: Brooklyn, New York, USA

swoon street art

(See more of her work here)

8. Olek: Born in Poland; based in USA

olek

Children play on the Alligator playground covered by crocheted creations by US based Polish artist Agata Olek as a part of the exhibition of SESC de Artes 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 20, 2012. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/GettyImages) (See more of her work here)

9. Tatyana Fazlalizadeh: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh draws a crowd as she installs a wheat-pasting project titled "Stop Telling Women to Smile" on the sides of Northeastern University buildings. (Photo by Joanne Rathe/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (See more of her work here)

10. Lady Pink: Born in Ecuador; based in New York City, USA

lady pink street art

(See more of her work here)

11. Cake:: New York, USA

cake street art

(See more of her work here)

12. Shin Shin: New York, USA

shin shin street art

Shin Shin + Elbow-toe (See more of her work here)

13. Miss Van: Born in France; based in Barcelona, Spain

miss van street art

(See more of her work here)

14. Kashink: Paris, France

kashink

(See more of her work here)

15. Lady Aiko: Born in Japan, based in New York, USA

lady aiko street art

(See more of her work here)

16. Alice: Rome, Italy

alice street art

A couple looks at a graffiti piece by Italian artist Alice. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images) (See more of her work here)

17. Artista: London, UK

artista street art