Women by Women: Community & Inspiration |Part II

Women by Women: Community & Inspiration |Part II by Vicente CayuelaOctober 16, 2025

Photographs © their respective makers, from top left to bottom right (details): Magie Steber, Debbie Fleming, Annu Palakunnathy Matthew, Dorothea Lange, Elinor Carucci, Madeleine Morlet, Kelli Connell, Jordanna Kalman, Cig Harvey, Pao Houa Her, Michele McDonald, Dayanita Singh, Cristina Molina, Sarah Silks, Yukari Chikara, Gina Osterloh, Selina Román, Maria Martinez Cañas, Katherine March Driscoll.

We’ve all met someone who has inspired us. Someone whose creativity catapults our own and pushes us to become more daring artists. Earlier this year, we asked the artists from A Yellow Rose Project to tell us who has left an indelible mark on their practice. Over the next three days, we’ll be sharing their unique responses. Thank you to everyone who shared their words and images for this initiative. We hope you find them as inspiring as we did. Go and give these artists a follow and look at their incredible works! They deserve it.

Part II

Maggie Steber
was chosen by Karen Zusman
IG: @maggiesteber | @kzusman

“I first knew Maggie Steber through her book, Dancing on Fire: Photographs from Haiti, and this image in particular stopped me. She was documenting — yet the frame feels like a hymn. Lyrical and symbolic, steeped in dignity, devotion, spirituality, and raw emotion. She honored the people she photographed, holding their traditions with respect, and somehow, at the same time, creating something that breathed like poetry. We met later through the Leica Women’s Foto Project Award, which I received for my Super Power of Me project. Maggie was very supportive of me and my project with youth. Her generosity is boundless — always sharing her knowledge and offering encouragement to upcoming photographers, like me. Maggie’s way of seeing — and of being — continues to inspire me.” — Karen Zusman

COPYRIGHT: MAGGIE STEBER, PHOTOGRAPHER MOTHER'S FUNERAL--A young Haitian man writhes in grief at the funeral for his mother in the National Cemetery in Pt-au-Prince, Haiti in November 1987. His friends and family lend support in his moments of anguish. His mother was killed in pre-election violence in Haiti in the weeks leading up to the first presidential elections in 30 years, following the fall of the cruel Duvalier regime in 1986. All-night shooting could be heard in Haitian cities during the weeks leading up to the elections. On election day, polls opened and closed within a hour because of widespread slaughter of voters and the burning of ballots and polling stations.

© Maggie Steber, Photographer Mother’s Funeral — A young Haitian man writhes in grief at the funeral for his mother in the National Cemetery in Pt-au-Prince, Haiti in November 1987. His friends and family lend support in his moments of anguish. His mother was killed in pre-election violence in Haiti in the weeks leading up to the first presidential elections in 30 years, following the fall of the cruel Duvalier regime in 1986. All-night shooting could be heard in Haitian cities during the weeks leading up to the elections. On election day, polls opened and closed within a hour because of widespread slaughter of voters and the burning of ballots and polling stations.

Debbie Fleming Caffery
was chosen by Nancy Baron
IG: @debbieflemingcaffery | @nancybaron_

Annu Palakunnathu Matthew
was chosen by Lindsey Beal
IG: @annumatthew | @mslenslover

“Annu is my mentor as a working artist and academic.” — Lindsey Beal

Sheltered - Italians who Sheltered Indian Soldiers during WW2

Dorothea Lange (†)
was chosen by Kathya Maria Landeros
IG: @kathyalanderos

“Her work documenting Mexican farmworkers in California serves as an important photographic record and reminder of those who have labored the land.” — Kathya Maria Landeros

Judith Black
was chosen by Toni Pepe
IG: @toni.pepe | @judithblackphoto

“Judith Black’s work has deeply influenced the way I think about time, observation, and the quiet persistence of making. Her photographs remind me that art can grow slowly and deliberately, shaped by the rhythm of daily life. There is a generosity in her attention to the everyday, a trust that meaning will emerge through patience and care. Her gaze is both tender and unflinching, revealing the power in what is ordinary and the beauty in simply looking closely, again and again.” — Toni Pepe

Elinor Carucci
was chosen by Megan Jacobs
IG: @elinorcarucci | @meganjacobsart

“Her fearless work on motherhood and middle age.” — Megan Jacobs

Megan Jacobs-Elinor Carruci-Brushing hair, 2010

Elinor Carucci, Brushing Hair, 2010

Madeleine Morlet
was chosen by Kyra Schmidt
IG: @madeleinemorlet | @kyraschmidt

“Madeleine’s work documenting the female body through motherhood explores the loss of autonomy women with young children experience. I have found her work through the years to be a constant source of not only inspiration, but also support and motivation. Roe vs. Wade being overturned in the 21st century shook so many of us to our core. Madeleine’s work is a constant force against the mainstream, the sterile, the representational imagery that we need so badly to fight in America.” — Kyra Schmidtt

Kyra Schmidt_Madeleine Mortlet_Virginia Breastfeeding (Silverlake, Los Angeles)_2022

Kelli Connell
was chosen by Kris Sanford
IG: @kelli_connell | @kris.sanford

“Kelli’s dedication to her long-term project Double Life is inspiring. The series documents changes within relationships and also charts her growth as an artist. I admire the persistence it takes to revisit a project and watch it unfold over many years.” — Kris Sanford

Katherine March Driscoll
was chosen by Jordanna Kalman
IG: @kathydisco | @rabbitsparrow

JordannaKalman_KatherineMarchDriscoll_TABLE v1_2024

Pao Houa Her
was chosen by Laura Migliorno
IG: @paohouaher | @laura_migliorino

“Pao’s work focuses on the Hmong tribe in Laos, and fought on the US side in the Vietnam War. As refugees in the US most live in Minnesota.” — Laura Migliorno

Migliorino_paohouaher_My Grandmother_s Favorite Grandchild 2017

Michele McDonald
was chosen by Mary Beth Meehan
IG: @michelemcdonaldpph | @marybethmeehan

Mary Beth Meehan_Michele McDonald_Butterfly Girl_2025

Dayanita Singh
was chosen by Lisa McCarty
IG: @dayanitasingh | @insta.lisa.mccarty

LisaMcCarty_DayanitaSingh_MuseumBhavan2017-InstallationDocwithSingh_fromhersite

Cristina Molina
was chosen by Lily Brooks
IG: @cm0lina | @lilypbrooks

LilyBrooks_CristinaMolina_ASoftFigureShroudedInAGarden

Maria Martinez Cañas
was chosen by Marina Font
IG: @mphotogram | @marinafontstudio

“I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had Maria as a professor during my MFA studies in Photography. Throughout that time, she not only challenged me academically but also inspired me personally. Over the years, she has grown to become not just a mentor but a dear friend whose guidance has profoundly shaped my artistic journey. I deeply admire her boundless creativity and unwavering dedication to her craft. Her strong work ethic and fearless approach to constant experimentation with photography and photo-based works push the boundaries of traditional art and encourage those around her to explore new possibilities. Maria’s passion and commitment continue to motivate me to develop my own voice and vision as an artist.” — Marina Font