Doris Lessing
for The Doors
of Opportunity Project

Portrait of Doris Lessing commissioned by Hill+Knowlton for their "Doors of Opportunity" project, celebrating their 50 years in UK

That's what Hill+Knowlton say about the project:

One of our most banal problems at H+K London is not being able to remember where our meeting rooms are, all of which are named after world-renowned authors. Out of that came an opportunity to create.
Speaking directly to our creativity and equality agendas, Ben Sharma and Abi Woolston suggested we commission 12 diverse emerging female artists from around the UK to create original artwork that bring the stories of the authors on our meeting room doors to life. These paid commissions support emerging artists from the UK and brings to life our commitment to equality, creativity and opportunity in a meaningful, original way with an idea born entirely here in London.

To ensure our artists were diverse in media and mindset, we cast a net far and wide. We wanted to support emerging women, and we wanted to make sure they were paid and that we could promote them – giving them the opportunity to have the rights to their work and creating a platform for them. We went to art colleges, platforms, creative partners, galleries – we used public channels as much as possible to make sure the net was vast. In total, we received 150 applicants, far exceeding our 70-person target. These were shortlisted to 30 by our EquALL team, who create a stronger and louder culture of equality and diversity in the agency, and then to the final 12, with everyone from our CFO to senior strategists having a say."

All works © 2011-2020 Anastasia Beltyukova