On September 23rd, 2020, Sassa Wilkes, a West Virginia native committed herself to the ambitious idea of painting 100 of some of the world’s most inspiring and influential women to commemorate the last 100 days of 2020. Each day, a new portrait comes to life on her canvas. Sassa’s undeniable passion to emulate a person’s soul and spirit through her painting is what drew us immediately to want to get to know about her as an artist more, and share her story.

“I am a 39 year old artist from West Virginia. I’ve been a maker of a huge variety of things my entire life, but portraiture has always been a consistent passion no matter what else I’m into at the moment. My undergraduate degree is in sculpture, but even that experience has informed how I render faces two dimensionally. I’ve drawn for as long as I can remember. Trying to capture a person’s spirit has always felt like some kind of elusive magic. I started getting much more skilled when I began teaching advanced drawing students in high school who were interested in portraiture. When I had to gain continuing education credits as a teacher, I proposed an independent study course in oil painting at Marshall University, which is close by. I ended up having 24 hour access and the painting studio all to myself for the whole summer. I had meetings every new and then with a mentor who had previously been chair of the painting department at SCAD. It was perfect. I fell madly in love with oil painting. Some nights I never left, I just napped under the tables so I could paint as soon as I woke up. That was just a few years ago, so I haven't really been a painter for very long.”

What initially inspired your 100 Badass Women project?

“Being quarantined for coronavirus really threw a wrench in my plans for the year. I own a private teaching studio, and had mapped out classes that never got to happen, so I was feeling a bit directionless. I spent the summer creating giant gardens all over my backyard, but when it was clear that Corona was here to stay awhile, I really felt panicky. I just didn't know what to do with myself, and I was starting to get really depressed. The political circus did not help things. The day Ruth Bader Ginsberg died, I was profoundly sad and so concerned about the future of our country. I painted her all day, and listened to interviews with her while I painted. Everything I had been feeling just lifted while I painted. Like the act of honoring this woman just suspended time, and it felt like the easiest painting I'd ever made. At the end of it, I felt hopeful and somehow refreshed. I looked at the calendar and realized there was just a little over a hundred days left in the year. I had thought about doing a 100 heads painting challenge before, so the timing felt right. Deadlines are very helpful to me, so sometimes in order to reach a goal I'll just make my own. My goal was to climb out of the funk I was in, to paint and learn more about women like RBG, and to connect with people. I held myself accountable by making an announcement on my website on September 23rd, promising to paint 100 badass women by the end of the year.”

Which are among some of your favorite works from this project so far?

“The painting of Maya Angelou was really special. It was the second one I did and I felt like it was successful as a painting, but I also loved learning about her while I painted. I listened to interviews with her on YouTube the whole time, and I never got tired of listening to her speak. Her voice is so soothing, and everything she said felt like an absolute gift to me. She was so wise and just an incredible woman. I also really enjoyed the paintings of Jenny Saville, Kiki Smith, and Louise Bourgeois. It was really cool to be able to share some of my favorite artists with my fans, most of whom had never heard of those women. The writings I’ve been doing along with the pieces have been such a cool way to share and connect with people. I loved being able to introduce the artists who have inspired me for so long to people who never knew about them before.”

Can you describe the women you look toward when choosing who to paint?

“I’ve painted an incredibly diverse group so far in terms of ethnicity as well as the impact they’ve had. So far I’ve included scientists, artists, politicians, musicians, authors, activists, journalists, actors, comedians, and public health workers. I’m not looking in any particular direction. If anything, I want to be surprised and learn about a lot of women I’ve never heard of. I also want to go back and re-learn about the contributions of women I learned about in a biased way in school, like Rosa Parks. I am definitely not trying to create any kind of ranking or comprehensive list of any kind. I love the idea of including any woman who inspires me, for any reason. The reason I started the project was to look toward something positive and inspiring every day. Other than that, I have no real criteria. I’ve welcomed suggestions from fans and I’ve had such an enormous response to that. I have one big list where I’ve compiled names, and for the most part I’ve chosen on the fly every day.”

What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned from 2020?

“I've learned how much I really need to be in nature. Spending the spring and summer working outdoors was my saving grace, and I can see myself sticking with work that follows the seasons in the future. Growing food and working outdoors in the spring and summer, hibernating in the winter in my painting studio. I've also learned how invaluable it is to be flexible. I've had to quickly adapt this year to get by, and I've made it work by being creative and finding what works in the moment. Maybe the most important thing I've learned is that what we say and what we share and put out into the world really does matter. This past year, I found myself speaking up far more often in really big ways when I saw things that weren't right. And when I choose to do that, the impact it has feels really obvious. It’s difficult to choose silence once you see what speaking up can do.“

How would you describe your work in 3 words?

Energetic, Soulful, Honest

Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?

“This is such a hard question, because I really love not knowing what’s going to happen. I love the feeling of looking back over the past year and just going, Wow. I never would have guessed I would do that. Having said that, I have learned to become a bit more goal oriented in the past few years. I see myself as a better person, smoother around the edges, stronger. I think I’ll continue to do creative work that makes me feel fulfilled, and I hope I figure out ways for that work to have more of a positive impact on others. I really enjoy collaboration with people who are following along, and I am a natural teacher. I always want to bring out the creativity in others. So I can definitely see myself doing something more collaborative in the future. Other than that, who knows. I’m excited to find out.“

The 100 Badass Women Project with Sassa Wilkes