‘THE ACTIVIST’
2025

A few years ago, I was meant to illustrate Romanian activist Antonella Lerca Duda for a blog highlighting LGBTQ+ stories. The project fell through, but the desire to create her portrait stayed with me. Working now on a series dedicated to powerful, inspiring women, I finally knew it was time.

Antonella is an activist, feminist, sex worker, and founder of Sex Work Call. She has worked with LGBTQ+ organization MozaiQ and the Roma feminist theatre company Giuvlipen, and she made history as the first trans election candidate in Romania, campaigning on social protection, housing rights, and public services, and advocating against gender-based violence, racism, and trans discrimination.