Stop Telling Women to Smile

A celebration of the author's art, a rallying read for women who are fed up with their own harassment experiences and a statement on how pervasive the problem of street harassment really is, this is a singular and important book.

Sitting at the cross-section of social activism, art, community engagement and feminism, STOP TELLING WOMEN TO SMILE brings to the page the author's arresting and famous street art-featuring the faces and voices of everyday women as they talk about the experience of living in communities that are supposed to be their homes yet are frequently hostile.

Among the lessons of the #metoo movement is that countless women experience harassment, and that women are more eager than ever to share experiences and recognise common oppression. Fazlalizadeh has been contributing to these conversations through her street art since 2012. This perfectly timed, singular collection of profiles, short essays and original artwork unforgettably shows how it affects women based on gender presentation, race, class, age and other intersecting identities.

“"Tatyana Fazlalizadeh has done what so many artists wish to accomplish. She has combined her tremendous talent for producing beautiful images with a forthright critique of the world she inhabits. Stop Telling Women to Smile is the most consequential street art campaign of the last decade, and we owe that to Tatyana's honesty, intelligence, hustle, and unmatched artistic talents. Her commitment to this project has challenged the way we discuss women and women's bodies in public space, and we are better for it." -- Mychal Denzel Smith , New York Times bestselling author of Invisible Man: Got the Whole World Watching”

"Tatyana Fazlalizadeh has done what so many artists wish to accomplish. She has combined her tremendous talent for producing beautiful images with a forthright critique of the world she inhabits. Stop Telling Women to Smile is the most consequential street art campaign of the last decade, and we owe that to Tatyana's honesty, intelligence, hustle, and unmatched artistic talents. Her commitment to this project has challenged the way we discuss women and women's bodies in public space, and we are better for it."
--Mychal Denzel Smith, New York Times bestselling author of Invisible Man: Got the Whole World Watching
"Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is the political artist of our time. Her walls burn, laying plain oppressions both buried and overt with beauty, power, and courage."--Molly Crabapple, author of Drawing Blood
"Tatyana Fazlalizadeh's work makes me smile. Provocation brings joy and Fazlalizadeh's images startle and prod with their delicate ferocity, reminding us that women are human. She treats us to what is seldom seen: woman as subject, woman as agent, woman as free human being."--Myriam Gurba, author of Mean
"Tatyana Fazlalizadeh's work wrestles the knot between cultural codes and the bodies of women with spectacular artistry. Her intersectional feminism lights the fire we need to see a way forward. She is unflinching and glorious."
--Lidia Yuknavitch, bestselling author of The Book of Joan
"Tatyana's art does what all great art does: tells the truth about our times. Her portraits of women are not only beautiful, they give women a space to have their truths heard. She is formidable and strong in her art, and our society is better for it."--Spike Lee

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is a classically trained oil painter turned street artist, a Forbes "30 Under 30" recipient, and one of Brooklyn Magazine's "Most Influential People." Her street art series, Stop Telling Women to Smile, has been covered by Time, NPR, MSNBC, Oxygen Network, and others. Fazlalizadeh lives in Brooklyn, New York.

A celebration of the author's art, a rallying read for women who are fed up with their own harassment experiences and a statement on how pervasive the problem of street harassment really is, this is a singular and important book. Sitting at the cross-section of social activism, art, community engagement and feminism, STOP TELLING WOMEN TO SMILE brings to the page the author's arresting and famous street art-featuring the faces and voices of everyday women as they talk about the experience of living in communities that are supposed to be their homes yet are frequently hostile. Among the lessons of the #metoo movement is that countless women experience harassment, and that women are more eager than ever to share experiences and recognise common oppression. Fazlalizadeh has been contributing to these conversations through her street art since 2012. This perfectly timed, singular collection of profiles, short essays and original artwork unforgettably shows how it affects women based on gender presentation, race, class, age and other intersecting identities.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.