On the occasion of International Women's Day, the temporary exhibition will open on March 7 at the Naamsepoort metro station Chromium City by Brussels artist Naomi Waku. With this project, the city not only wants to beautify the metro stations, but also give female artists more visibility in public space.

Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt emphasizes that women should no longer be invisible in the streetscape. “That time is gone for good,” she says. “We consciously show this change in the city. For example, a tunnel and three pedestrian bridges have been named after iconic Brussels women, more and more STIB stops are named after women and more and more female art is appearing in public spaces.”

colorful portraits

De exhibition in the Naamsepoort metro station is a collaboration between make-up artist Naomi Waku and photographer Simon Loiseau. Ten portraits will be on display in the station's new noticeboards for a year. These works of art reinterpret urban identity by placing people in familiar Brussels settings, while at the same time blurring the line between reality and fiction.

Waku created unique make-up designs for the Brussels residents portrayed. Each face is painted in vibrant colours that, thanks to Loiseau's specific lighting, act as a prism and reveal a new aspect of their presence in the public space. This transforms everyday city life at the Porte de Namur into an almost dreamlike scene. The models, ordinary Brussels residents who are briefly in the spotlight, thus become part of a work of art that illuminates the city in a different way.