My Love Letter to Boss Babes Past and Present
International Women’s Day was a special one this year, and honestly, I’m still not over it. I joined WOM Collective’s paint jam at Allen Gardens in London, and it was the perfect blend of immaculate vibes and sisterhood.
A little about Queen Teuta:
Queen Teuta ruled the Kingdom of Illyria (present-day Albania) from 231 to 227 BC. She was a fearless warrior queen who stood her ground against the Roman Empire—refusing to bow down, even when they tried to strong-arm her. Her legacy is one of strength, defiance, and leadership in a world that rarely made space for women in power. Simply put: she was that girl. So really, it’s only right I was named after her 💅
Photo credit: Kosta Korçari on Flickr
The design itself used the Queen Teuta bust, which can be found in the Skanderbeg Museum in Krujë, Albania, as a reference. Of course, I had to give her the Teutie Pie treatment: painted in pink and styled with some unreleased jewellery designs from my upcoming collection, Like a Charm. A little sneak peek for those paying close attention—you heard it here first!
A labour of love
This mural was truly a labour of love in every sense. I wrestled with the face for ages—working with a small surface area and still finding my groove as a muralist meant I lost my outlines fast and had to eyeball a lot of it. To be fair to myself, this was only my fourth proper piece. Lesson learnt: next time I’m bringing chalk for my doodle wall.
Even in the frustration, I couldn’t stay down for long. The energy was everything. That’s the magic of painting alongside other artists. I was surrounded by good vibes, real encouragement, and people who genuinely wanted me to win. Shoutout to everyone who cheered me on, especially those who nudged me to come back in the morning and finish it.
This is actual footage of me dragging spray cans up and down the streets of London ✌️
I legged it to GreatArt in Shoreditch just before closing to grab more pink spray cans. And as promised, I was back at the wall by 6AM the next morning (yep, really) to finish what I started—just in time to make it to my shift at 11AM 🫠 I’m not quite sure where I found the energy… but I’m glad I did.
Here are some lovely snaps taken by some lovely people 👇
