What Is Ecofeminist Art?

If you’ve walked through a museum or attended a major exhibition in recent years, you’ve likely noticed eco-feminist art showing up more and more. What was once a niche movement in the 1970s has grown into a powerful force, now found in major collections, biennials, and exhibitions worldwide. It’s no longer just a subculture or activist space — it’s become a central part of contemporary art.

Now, when you mix feminism with ecology, it may sound like the perfect formula to give a brainstroke to an anti-woke crusader. And sure, it might come across that way at first. But ecofeminist art is rooted in something much older, much deeper, and certainly not as easily dismissed. It’s about the longstanding relationship between humans and the environment, and the role of women in that relationship — not just as nurturers of people, but as caretakers of the land, too.

At the heart of ecofeminism lies a fundamental insight: the same systems that exploit nature also oppress women and marginalized groups. These systems are built on hierarchies, control, and domination, where both the land and the feminine are treated as resources to be controlled, exploited, or extracted from. Ecofeminist art aims to reveal how these structures of power replicate themselves, over and over again, from the way we treat the environment to how we treat those who are already vulnerable. This repeating cycle of dominance is something ecofeminist artists seek to dismantle.

In this post, we’ll break down what eco-feminist art really is, why it’s become so significant in contemporary art, and how it speaks to the challenges of our time. We’ll dive into its historical foundations, explore its connection to environmental justice and social issues, and look at how it can be woven into education — from social studies to STEAM subjects like biology. You’ll also meet some of the key artists behind this movement, who are using art to challenge systems of power and imagine new ways forward.

What to know more?

To learn more about the evolution of art movements and ecofeminism, check out my post What is Land Art?

Explore eco-art examples to see how artists use nature to communicate important messages.

And don’t miss Art for Social Change: Inspiring Stories of Female Artists Who Transformed the World, where I highlight remarkable female artists who have used their work to drive social change.

What Is Ecofeminism?

Let’s start with a simple (but important) question: What is Ecofeminism?

Ecofeminism is a framework that links ecological concerns with feminist thought. It explores how the domination of the environment and the oppression of women — and, more broadly, of marginalized communities — often emerge from the same systems of power. These systems are typically hierarchical, profit-driven, and based on the idea of controlling or extracting value from both people and nature.

The term ecofeminism was coined in 1974 by the French writer Françoise d’Eaubonne, who argued that women had a unique role to play in ecological transformation. Since then, the movement has grown and diversified, shaped by the contributions of scholars and activists like Vandana Shiva, Carolyn Merchant, Maria Mies, and Val Plumwood. Their work helped to define ecofeminism as both a critique of social and environmental injustice, and a proposal for more sustainable and equitable ways of living.

One of the central ideas of ecofeminism is that the same mindset used to justify the exploitation of nature is also used to justify the subordination of women and other oppressed groups. This mindset often values control, competition, and productivity over care, interdependence, and long-term well-being.

A key element of contemporary ecofeminism is its intersectionality — the understanding that environmental and gender issues cannot be separated from race, class, colonialism, and other forms of inequality. Ecofeminist movements and ideas are frequently led or deeply informed by Indigenous women, Black and brown communities, and other groups historically excluded from mainstream environmental or feminist discourses. These communities often bring with them knowledge systems that emphasize relationality — not only between people, but between humans, animals, land, and the spiritual world.

Ecofeminism also engages with anti-speciesism, challenging the idea that human life is inherently more valuable than other forms of life. From this perspective, justice must extend beyond human societies to include animals, ecosystems, and future generations. It is a call to rethink our place in the world — not as separate from or above nature, but as part of a complex web of life.

Importantly, ecofeminism is not a single or uniform theory. It includes a range of perspectives: spiritual, materialist, Indigenous, postcolonial, and more. What unites them is a shared concern with how systems of oppression are linked, and a vision for a world built on care, reciprocity, and respect — for each other and for the Earth.

In the arts, these ideas have inspired powerful and diverse creative responses. Ecofeminist art challenges dominant narratives, gives visibility to underrepresented voices, and imagines more just and sustainable futures. It is here — in the realm of images, symbols, and storytelling — that the movement continues to grow and reach new audiences.

Are you interested in learning more about the topic in an approachable way? Check out my Ecofeminism for Dummies Guide!

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Historical Context and Core Concepts of Ecofeminist Art

Ecofeminist art emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, at the intersection of two powerful social movements: feminism and environmentalism.

Artists and thinkers began to explore the idea that the oppression of women and the degradation of the Earth were not separate problems, but deeply connected. Ecofeminist art grew out of this realization, offering not only critique but also new ways of imagining the relationship between humans and nature — grounded in care, respect, and reciprocity.

Roots in Social Movements

Feminist art movements in the 1970s challenged the dominance of male artists and male-centered narratives in art history. Women artists began creating work that centered female experiences, bodies, and knowledge — often using personal, symbolic, or embodied forms of expression. This laid the groundwork for ecofeminist perspectives.

Environmental movements raised awareness of pollution, industrial farming, nuclear threats, and deforestation. These issues were increasingly understood not only as technical or scientific, but also ethical — about our values and how we live.

Indigenous and decolonial perspectives brought attention to ways of living that had long-centered interdependence with the land. Many ecofeminist artists and writers drew on or stood alongside these traditions, recognizing that colonialism, patriarchy, and ecological destruction were deeply intertwined.

Core Themes in Ecofeminist Art

• Interconnected Oppression: Ecofeminism starts with the insight that systems of domination — whether over land, women, animals, or marginalized communities — often follow the same logic: a belief in hierarchy, control, and separation. Ecofeminist artists aim to reveal and challenge these structures by showing how human and ecological well-being are linked.
• Spiritual and Cultural Symbolism: Many ecofeminist artworks explore the symbolic connections between the human body (especially the female body) and the Earth. Cycles of menstruation, birth, death, and renewal are often mirrored in natural processes. Some artists use ritual, ancestral references, or goddess imagery — not to essentialize women, but to reclaim cultural traditions that honored the feminine and the natural world.
• Critique of Capitalism and Redefining Progress: Ecofeminist art often questions the dominant idea of “progress” as endless growth and consumption. It critiques capitalist systems that prioritize profit over sustainability and care. Artists may use found, recycled, or biodegradable materials; they may create temporary works that fade or return to the earth; or they may collaborate with local communities in acts of resistance and restoration.
• Anti-Speciesism and the Ethics of Care: Many ecofeminist thinkers also reject the idea that human life is inherently more valuable than non-human life. This doesn’t mean all life is the same, but rather that justice and care should extend beyond the human. Artworks influenced by this view may center animals, ecosystems, or invisible forms of life (like soil, fungi, or seeds), encouraging viewers to see these as subjects, not objects.

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Ecofeminist Art vs. Land Art

Ecofeminist art and Land Art both emerged in the 1970s and often used natural materials and outdoor settings.

But their goals and values were very different.

Read also: What is Land Art?

Land Art was largely led by male artists who created monumental works by reshaping the earth — digging, carving, building. These pieces were often permanent and required industrial tools. While Land Art challenged the traditional art market, it still treated nature as a material to be used or transformed. It rarely addressed issues of gender, power, or care.

Ecofeminist art, on the other hand, is more relational. It focused on collaboration with nature, not control. Artists often used found or biodegradable materials and created works that were ephemeral or ritualistic.

Many included personal, symbolic, or spiritual elements — especially connected to the body, cycles, and healing. Ecofeminist art also questioned broader systems: patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism.

In summary:

• Land Art did challenge the commercialization of art, but it still often assumed a controlling relationship to nature. It tended to emphasize permanence, scale, and human authorship.
• Ecofeminist art offered a different approach:
  • Rather than monumental, it was often ephemeral — meant to decay, disappear, or return to the earth.
  • Rather than controlling nature, it aimed to collaborate with it, to listen, respond, and participate in natural processes.
  • Rather than distancing itself from emotion or spirituality, ecofeminist art often embraced the personal, the symbolic, and the communal.

Key Artists and Practices in Ecofeminist Art

Ecofeminist art has never been a single, unified style.

Instead, it reflects a wide spectrum of practices and beliefs, shaped by artists from different cultural, spiritual, and political contexts. What links them is a shared commitment to challenging systems of domination — over the Earth, over women, over marginalized peoples — and to envisioning alternative ways of living that center care, interdependence, and ecological balance.

Reclaiming the Land: From Monument to Meaning

One of the earliest and most emblematic figures of ecofeminist art is Agnes Denes. In her 1982 project Wheatfield – A Confrontation, Denes planted a field of wheat in a landfill near Wall Street in Manhattan. Surrounded by skyscrapers and symbols of global finance, this living artwork asked viewers to reflect on the values that shape our cities and economies. Denes did not seek to master the landscape, as many Land Artists of her time did, but to insert a simple act of cultivation — a gesture of quiet resistance and long-term thinking in the face of capitalist excess.

Her work marks a turning point: ecofeminist artists began using land-based practices not to impress or dominate, but to propose different ways of relating to place, labor, and time.

Read also:

• 13 Inspiring Eco-Art Examples Students Will Love | Explore Environmental Art

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Spiritual and Ritual Practices

For many ecofeminist artists, especially in the 1970s and 1980s, ecological and feminist concerns were inseparable from spiritual life. Fern Shaffer, for example, created seasonal performance rituals that honored the cycles of nature and sought to reconnect audiences with ancient forms of knowledge. Her collaborations with photographer Othello Anderson documented these events as part of an ongoing dialogue between art, environment, and ceremony.

Similarly, Monica Sjöö, a Swedish-British artist and activist, brought goddess imagery and matriarchal histories into her paintings and writings. Her work was explicitly spiritual and political — reclaiming the sacred feminine as a source of ecological wisdom and resistance. In this stream of ecofeminist art, the personal and the planetary were deeply intertwined.

Embodied Practices and the Politics of Presence

No artist embodied (literally) the convergence of body, land, and memory more than Ana Mendieta. A Cuban-born, American-trained artist, Mendieta created ephemeral works in forests, rivers, caves, and beaches, often using her own body or its silhouette as the central motif. Her Silueta Series — impressions of her body formed in mud, grass, or fire — spoke to themes of belonging, exile, and ancestral memory. While not always labeled ecofeminist in her time, her work powerfully reflected many of the movement’s concerns: the erasure of women’s histories, the violence of displacement, and the longing for reconnection with the Earth.

Indigenous and Decolonial Perspectives

Ecofeminist art has also drawn strength from Indigenous worldviews and decolonial critiques — particularly in how they challenge Western ideas of nature as separate, passive, or inert. Artists like Sonya Kelliher-Combs, an Iñupiaq and Athabascan artist from Alaska, integrate traditional materials such as animal skins and sinew into works that explore identity, care, and interdependence. Her art reflects an Indigenous understanding of the land as a living relative, not a resource.

Likewise, Cecilia Vicuña, a Chilean artist and poet, blends environmental activism with ancestral Andean practices. Her quipu installations — made of dyed wool and suspended in space — reference ancient systems of communication and reflect on the fragility of language, memory, and ecosystems. Vicuña’s art is often collaborative, temporary, and poetic, challenging the dominance of Western rationalism in both art and science.

Social Practice and Community Engagement

In more recent years, ecofeminist art has expanded beyond individual expression to include large-scale, participatory projects focused on social and environmental justice. Mary Mattingly, for example, explores themes of sustainability, food sovereignty, and urban ecology. Her ongoing project Swale — a floating food forest on a barge in New York City — invites people to rethink public access to land, water, and nourishment. It’s an example of ecofeminist thinking applied not just to symbolism, but to infrastructure and everyday life.

👉 Want to explore these artists in more detail? Check out my guide to 10 Ecofeminist Artists You Should Know »

Artistic Practices and Why They Matter Today

Ecofeminist art is not defined by a single medium or style. What unites its diverse practices is the way form and material reflect the values of the movement itself: interconnection, care, and resistance to domination — over people, over bodies, over land.

Many early ecofeminist artists moved away from the art market and traditional formats like painting and sculpture. Instead, they turned toward performance, ritual, and site-specific interventions. These were not just aesthetic choices, but ethical ones. A temporary work made from natural materials, or a body-based performance enacted in a forest or shoreline, stood in contrast to the permanence and commercial value of mainstream art objects. The fleeting nature of these works was often the point: they existed in time, in relationship with place, and then disappeared — like a season, a life cycle, or a gesture of mourning.

Some artists used their own bodies in these performances, not as objects of display but as vessels for memory, connection, and transformation. Others used soil, hair, seeds, blood, cloth, feathers, stones — materials full of cultural, personal, or ecological meaning. In this way, ecofeminist art made space for intimacy and symbolism, even spirituality, in a contemporary art world that had often dismissed these as sentimental or uncritical.

The same principles extended into literature, poetry, and activism. Many ecofeminist artists published manifestos, engaged in community work, or created hybrid forms that blurred the boundaries between disciplines. The artwork was not always an object to be owned — it might be a walk, a conversation, a healing circle, a seed bank, a land restoration project.

Why Ecofeminist Art Matters

Let’s be honest: what many people still think of as “contemporary art” — the abstract, self-referential, existential, sometimes deliberately obscure kind — is already twenty, thirty, even forty years old.

That version of art, self-referential and often avoids any overt social or political message, had its place. But it no longer reflects the urgency of our time.

What we are seeing now — and what ecofeminist art exemplifies — is not a passing trend or a niche movement. It’s not “woke art.” It’s the actual present of contemporary art.

Today, the most vital, widely exhibited, and widely discussed art is grounded in real-world concerns: climate justice, Indigenous knowledge, gendered violence, food systems, urban inequality, extractivism.

It’s no longer possible — or meaningful — to separate the aesthetic from the political. And increasingly, artists aren’t trying to. They are working in ways that blur the line between artistic expression and social practice, between protest and poetics, between beauty and survival.

Read also:

• Creating Art for Social Change: How Art Can Inspire Activism
• 10 Powerful Examples of Art That Sparked Social Change

Ecofeminism is one expression of this shift — not the only one, but a powerful example. It demonstrates how art can be both visually compelling and structurally radical. How it can reconnect us with the land, challenge systems of power, and propose alternatives through imagination and ritual, through care and critique.

Some may see this as a “turn” in art. But that assumes there was ever a neutral or universal art history in the first place. But the reality is, artists from outside dominant structures — women, Indigenous peoples, Black and brown communities, queer artists — have always made art that reflects on survival, resistance, and community.

What’s changing now is that these practices are being centered, studied, funded, and exhibited at scale. And that matters.

So no, this is not a side conversation. It is the conversation. This is what contemporary art is — right now. Not only in activist spaces, but in museums, biennials, catalogs, and classrooms. Art that is concerned not just with the self, but with the world. Art as a form of relation, of responsibility, of service. Art that doesn’t ask to be admired from a distance, but invites us in — and asks us to act.

Further reading:

Art for Social Change: To explore more on how art can serve as a catalyst for social change and create meaningful dialogue in the public sphere, check out our article on Art for Social Change.

Using Art to Talk About Big Topics with Kids: If you’re wondering how to introduce big, complex topics through art in a way that resonates with children, stay tuned for our upcoming post on using art to talk about big topics with kids.

Key Strategies for Incorporating Ecofeminist Art into Education

Ecofeminist art is not just for art classes; it can be a powerful tool for engaging with a wide range of topics across various curricula.

By connecting art to big ideas and integrating it into subjects such as social studies, history, cultural studies, and even STEM education, we can help students see the intersections between art, activism, and the world around them.

Here are some key strategies for incorporating ecofeminist art into different areas of study:

1. Connecting to Social Issues and Activism

Ecofeminist art is inherently activist, addressing themes such as environmental justice, gender equality, and the rights of marginalized communities. Integrating it into the curriculum allows students to think critically about social justice issues through a creative lens.

• In Social Studies or Civic Education: Use ecofeminist art as a lens to explore topics like activism, sustainability, human rights, and social movements. Students can discuss how ecofeminist artists challenge traditional power structures and use art as a tool for protest and societal change.
• Encouraging Critical Thinking: This approach can also promote discussion around intersectionality — how issues of race, gender, and environment overlap. Ecofeminist art offers a way to explore these topics visually and symbolically, encouraging students to consider multiple perspectives in their analysis of contemporary social issues.

2. Integrating with Historical Discussions

Ecofeminism offers a historical perspective that connects the exploitation of the environment to broader themes in historical oppression, colonialism, and capitalism. It provides a unique opportunity to explore how these systems have shaped both art history and modern environmentalism.

• In History Lessons: Use ecofeminist art to discuss historical movements like feminism, environmentalism, or decolonization. For example, Agnes Denes’ Wheatfield – A Confrontation can be explored alongside discussions on industrialization, urbanization, and the commodification of nature in the 20th century.
• Linking Environmental History: Ecofeminist art can also open discussions on the history of environmental degradation, land rights, and the relationship between colonial history and the dispossession of indigenous land. This context provides depth to the discussion on environmentalism and the fight for a more sustainable future.

3. Cultural Studies and Diverse Voices

One of the most important aspects of ecofeminist art is its embrace of diverse voices, particularly those of women and Indigenous artists. Integrating ecofeminist art into cultural studies courses not only broadens the scope of art history but also allows for an inclusive, global understanding of environmental and social issues.

• In Cultural Studies: Students can explore Indigenous worldviews and how they intersect with ecofeminist thinking. Artists like Cecilia Vicuña and Sonya Kelliher-Combs bring Indigenous knowledge into the conversation about ecology, land, and femininity. Discussing these artists in the context of colonial history and its impact on both women and the environment can deepen students’ understanding of cultural and environmental intersectionality.
• Highlighting Feminist Art History: Discuss how eco-feminist art challenges the traditional Western male-dominated narrative of art history. Artists like Monica Sjöö and Ana Mendieta offer ways to rethink not just art, but the historical roles of women in art and society. Students can study the historical exclusion of women from art movements and the powerful resurgence of feminist voices in the contemporary art world.

4. STEAM Education: Connecting Art to Science

Ecofeminist art can play a significant role in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) education by connecting biological sciences, ecology, and environmental studies with creative expression.

• In Biology or Environmental Science: Ecofeminist art offers a way to visualize and express complex biological concepts like biodiversity, climate change, or the ecological impact of human activities. It provides students with an artistic outlet to explore issues like sustainability, pollution, and habitat destruction, allowing them to see the human impact on nature through both scientific data and visual art.
• Using Natural Materials: Ecofeminist artists often use materials that are organic, found in nature, or recycled. Students can create their own works of art using natural materials while discussing biological processes like decomposition, the carbon cycle, or ecosystem interdependence. This integrates hands-on learning with ecological concepts, fostering a holistic understanding of both art and environmental science.
• Engineering and Design: In exploring ecofeminism through art, students can also learn about sustainable design. Projects can include designing structures using natural materials, creating eco-friendly art installations, or considering the environmental impacts of creating art.

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