August 18th 2020 was the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote, one of a series of victories in the campaign for female suffrage in the United Kingdom. Emmeline Pankhurst and her two daughters Christabel and Sylvia were leaders and founding members of the Suffragette movement. Sylvia was an accomplished artist who trained at the Manchester School of Art. During World War One, many women contributed to the war effort by performing jobs vacated by men who had gone to fight. This female worker presence helped to sway the balance towards women's suffrage. For me as a female freelance artist, these themes are close to my heart. The Octopus has three hearts, hence it makes a perfect canvas on which to depict this famous trio of Suffragettes.
