A poem by Dr Kuli Kohli, Wolverhampton's Poet Laureate Inspired by the oil painting Reading by Ethel Léontine Gabain (1883–1950)

When I touch your pages you fill me with excitement, adventure, imagination. I am limitless.

Gently I breathe, I fall and I rise, I am alive.

In the core of the soft sheets, your secrets are revealed to me. I read between the lines. I am desire.

Locked in a moment, confined like oil on canvas; I am boundless.

When I am reading, delicate as a dream, your words embrace me; I am yours....

This is an abridged version of the poem. The full version is on display at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

The coloured collage of small pictures against the dark background is striking, and the subject matter feels relevant and current. She looks like a modern Mona Lisa. You can look at it for ages and see something different each time.

Viv East

Love Pauline Boty's painting of a classic icon Marilyn Monroe, it evokes the power and strength of women throughout the ages. No matter how many times they have tried to colour her gone, erase her from history, her inspiration lives on.

Sarah Preston

Pauline Boty, artist, actress, trailblazer. Brave Soul. Her creativity talks to women still after years and years through tears. What a star you are Pauline Boty in a sea on men you sail on.

Ruth Mason

Emma Bolland’s A Declaration captures a swirl of movement, the girl has the wind in her hair, the fish surge forth churned up in the wave behind her, She only has a flimsy dress, yet she stands firm and strong on her a wooden leg, her arm held high against the tempest. I connect with this image I feel women often face storm-like conditions, are “Disabled’ by society, have lost their identity in the storm of modern life.   Claire Darke

A suitcase

Or a toolbox?

Essential items for a day’s work

Or a collection of family heirlooms?

In the morning light, heading out, functioning,

Or the evening light, returning home, reflecting?

Half the sky

Half a suitcase

Half a story

Carrie Slawinska

A daily ritual, she takes a walk, her walking stick clip and clops. The promising sounds of comfort. She is the mother of our streets, our city.   She stops and greets every being, listening to their tales of joys and woes. She comforts, consoles the bruised heart. She is the balm to our bleeding wounds.   Hobbling along she hums her songs, talking to squirrels jumping in the trees, to the birds as they fly high in the sky, to flowers that blossom, scenting the air.

In a tranquil moment, she sits quietly. Streets has changed the journey recedes, The rain is threatening this ordinary day. A memory vibrates with pleasure and pain.   There is wisdom in her wrinkles, knowledge brought from her youth...

An excerpt from Santosh K Dary

I am the Standing Woman

When you know you know. I am the standing woman I remain standing through it all. I wear masks to cover some things. But then I wear other masks to enhance other things. Having done some much needed reality checks of life, as a big black woman living in the Diaspora as a migrant. I do what I have to do to survive the existence that is my life.   I have learned with time how to present myself right. It has become easier in fact knowing that everyone is doing the same after all. PRESENTING THEMSELVES RIGHT.

To some I am big and intimidating in my confidence. To some I am big and a waste of space. Yet to some I am that cuddly softie that could never hurt a fly...

An excerpt from the response by Farisai Dzemwa

Love this artwork, but I don’t see a glacier, I see a woman lying on her side holding her head with one hand and stomach with the other. I see in this picture a reflection of me. I am currently going through the menopause and this is a pose I take up most evenings as I try to fathom the day’s events with my new way of thinking and deal with the pains and emotions that the menopause brings.

Ruth Stanway

Enid Marjorie Vale’s oil painting takes my mind away from everything. I am completely captured by the beauty and simplicity of the mountains. My mind is at peace, it can easily be my happy place. In this hectic world and difficult times, this picture takes me to a happy, peaceful place.

Santush Chaunkria

This is the left hand panel of a three part painting.

I am always drawn to the colour combination and use of pattern in Invasion by Lubaina Himid. Invasion combines elements of modernist abstraction with African inspired fabric and textiles to portray the many important contributions by migrants to western culture. The making of fabric and creation of pattern is traditionally considered women’s work. Himid depicts African inspired textile in this work to represent black women’s creativity. In 2017 Himid was the first black woman and the oldest winner of the prestigious Turner Prize award.

Bethany Williams