A Brief Look: The Badass Women of Tuesday Bassen

 

 

The effortless flow of illustrator Tuesday Bassen‘s line work plays out first — the ease of her drawings add to the nonchalant charm of her characters. They are each beings unto themselves. Disassociative in the face of the viewer yet Bassen’s figures, her girl gangs, capture deep friendships and bonds. The attitudes of the characters is palpable, you can hear the snarl. You can feel the piercing staredown.

Bassen’s illustrations are vibrant and full of the intoxicating joy inspired by the aimlessness of youth. The characters in her series of zines ‘Ugly Girl Gang‘ celebrate femininity and strength, a female-crafted universe where beauty is not the priority. Bassen’s work pulls you in with her playful line work and sunny color palette, but once you’re inside you find her girls. Women who wear their strength and make it visible. These are the women we want in the world. Unafraid and confrontational. Bassen’s brand is one of taunting humor and in her wordless pages the characters look as if to speak, “Like us, I dare you.”