Original Sisters: Portraits of Tenacity and Courage

Description: "A stunning collection of 150 portraits of groundbreaking women throughout history--many of whom are unsung or forgotten--by one of the best illustrators working today. In early March 2020, Covid19-locked down in her Toronto home-studio and longing for inspiration, artist Anita Kunz began researching women on the Internet. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but soon found an array of astonishing people who had done amazing things--some of whom she had heard of, but most of whom she had not. And then she began to paint them and write down their stories--an astonishingly eclectic group, from ancient history to 2020--from Joan of Arc to Josephine Baker to Rachel Carson to Misty Copland. The result is a stunning feat of historical research and artistic achievement"--

Review Quotes: "Thank you, Anita Kunz, for this work of art! I have a deep appreciation and admiration for how this book came to be: out of your searching, out of your desire to learn about and know these lives more deeply. Thank you for painting these extraordinary women, for portraying their individuality, strength, determination, courage, perseverance, and their particular beauty. I've spent the past twenty-three years of my career playing a kick-ass woman on TV: Kick-ass women are all around us and this book is a beautiful, unforgettable reminder. I loved spending time with this sisterhood."
--Mariska Hargitay

"Anita Kunz reminds us that women's history is the world's history. She reminds us that much of the culture we take for granted exists by the grace of women's ingenuity. This is a book that demands that we continue to interrogate why women and their historical contributions are, all too often, overlooked."
--Roxane Gay, from the Foreword