Women of Art

AOAP Projects Launches International Women’s Day Auction Marking a New Chapter for the Iconic Art Fundraiser

After more than a decade as one of the UK’s most recognisable charitable art auctions, Art on a Postcard has re-emerged under a new identity: AOAP Projects. This month, the organisation unveils its first International Women’s Day auction, signalling both a shift in format and a renewed ambition for the platform.

The inaugural exhibition introduces a significant change to the auction’s traditional format. Instead of the well-known postcard-sized artworks, participating artists have created bold 5 x 5-inch works on plywood, marking a departure that reflects AOAP Projects’ evolving curatorial direction. The sale is also distinguished by its entirely female-led curatorial panel, assembled specifically for the International Women’s Day edition.

The show is curated by a group of influential figures across the art world: curator and art advisor Claudia Cheng, cultural strategy and communications consultant and Working Arts Club founder Meg Molloy, Louise Fitzjohn, director of Liminal Gallery, and the Women in Art Prize. Together, they shape a dynamic exhibition that celebrates women artists while launching a confident new chapter for the fundraising platform led by Gemma Peppé.

All funds raised from the auction will support The Hepatitis C Trust and its vital work with women affected by the criminal justice system. This group is frequently overlooked, facing stigma, structural inequality, and barriers to reintegration after incarceration. Since 2018, the Trust’s small, peer-led team has delivered dedicated services for women both in the community and across the female prison estate, raising awareness of hepatitis C, encouraging testing, and guiding women through treatment pathways.

The auction also marks the final chapter of AOAP’s long-standing partnership with The Hepatitis C Trust. With more than 100 artworks available, the sale offers collectors an opportunity to support the charity’s work while acquiring exceptional contemporary art.

Among the highlights of Claudia Cheng’s selection are Canadian artist Dominique Fung, whose practice explores intersections of tradition, memory and cultural legacy; German artist Johanna Bath; and Scottish figurative painter Florence Reekie.

Meg Molloy’s curatorial line-up focuses on artists from working-class backgrounds, including fine artist and Goldsmiths graduate GL Bierley, sculptor and collagist Shauna Cribbin, and interdisciplinary artist Hannah Perry.

From Louise Fitzjohn’s selection are artist and musician Emma Richardson, classically trained painter Fipsi Seilern, and Swedish-born artist Anna Blom, whose diaristic works respond directly to her surroundings.

The Women in Art Prize contributes works by several of its award winners, including photographer Jenny Lewisand Harrogate-born painter Judy Clarkson, known for figures caught in moments of drama or quiet tension.

The broader AOAP Projects line-up includes a number of standout names. Among them are Roxana Halls, known for her depictions of laughing, rebellious women; British-Nigerian artist Sola Olulode, whose figurative works explore queer intimacy; Helen Kincaid, whose paintings examine the relationship between painting and photographic processes; and Iranian artist Fa Razavi, whose large-scale works address themes of revolution and female resistance.

The AOAP Projects International Women’s Day auction will run online from 5–19 March via the Givergy platform, with a Private View at The Bomb Factory in Holborn on 10 March. With bidding starting at £50, the sale offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire work by sought-after artists while contributing to a significant social cause.