Don’t Tell Me To Smile

'Don’t Tell Me To Smile' is a celebration of women who rebel, consisting of 7 pencil portraits celebrating women whose rebellion shaped our social landscapes.

Drawn with an intricate hand and delicate touch, Dena explains, "In honor of International Women’s Day this year, I created a series of portraits of women whose rebellion has changed our collective idea of what it means to be a woman -      
Frida changed the way we view hardship.   
Angela taught us the meaning of equality.      
Chimamanda made feminism more accessible.
Greta showed us that age is just a number.     
Georgia proved that our art has value.     
Gloria taught us that feminism is actually equality.       
Marsha changed the definition of what it means to be a woman.       

Though these women may have fundamentally disagreed about many things, their brazen authenticity in a world of established social norms was so fierce that it transformed our social landscapes forever. In our homogenized world, just being yourself is a daily act of rebellion. Cheers to all the women who show up again and again to do just that. Sending love to all the rebels."