Maliha Abidi: Art, Advocacy, and the Rise of Women in Web3
By Darren Smith, Arts Reporter
April 13, 2026
LONDON — When Maliha Abidi migrated from Pakistan to the United States at age 14, she turned to art as a source of solace and strength. What began as a personal refuge has evolved into a powerful platform for social change, blending traditional illustration with cutting-edge blockchain technology. As the founder of the Women Rise NFT project, Abidi has emerged as a leading voice in the Web3 space, using digital art to champion women’s rights, girls’ education, and greater diversity in technology.
Abidi, a Pakistani-American multidisciplinary artist and author now based in London, has built a career that spans painting, animation, digital illustration, immersive experiences, and installation. Her work consistently explores themes of gender, collective memory, and the South Asian diaspora. Over more than 12 years, she has exhibited in major cities including London, New York, Paris, Karachi, and Miami. Her efforts have earned recognition from global media outlets such as The New York Times, BBC, and Good Morning America, and she has collaborated with organizations like UNHCR, Instagram, Adobe, and Google.
In 2025, Abidi was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Europe Social Impact category. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art and is set to begin an MFA at the University of Oxford in the class of 2026. Beyond her artistic practice, Abidi is the author of three books, including “Rise,” a 2022 publication that profiles 100 extraordinary women of color who have changed the world through their courage and creativity.
The launch of Women Rise in November 2021 marked a pivotal moment in Abidi’s journey. The project is a collection of 10,000 unique NFT art pieces, each a hand-drawn portrait celebrating women from diverse backgrounds — scientists, activists, artists, coders, and more. Created from 453 hand-drawn traits, the generative collection extends Abidi’s long-standing advocacy work into the decentralized world of Web3. The portraits feature vibrant color palettes, minimal shading, and bold graphic lines designed to inspire imagination, particularly among young women.
“Art serves as a vehicle for education and social justice,” Abidi has explained in interviews. She views her fictionalized portraits as tools to spark dialogue within families and communities, challenging limited narratives that often constrain girls’ aspirations. In regions where cultural expectations might tie women’s careers to marriage rather than personal fulfillment, these images aim to open minds to new possibilities.
The mission of Women Rise goes far beyond minting and trading digital collectibles. From its inception, the project has committed to using proceeds to support girls’ education and women’s rights initiatives. It has raised over $135,000 for scholarships and artist residencies worldwide, partnering with causes aligned to Abidi’s values, including the Malala Fund. Collaborations with organizations such as Girls Who Code, Camfed, and others have extended its impact. One notable effort involved creating a Digital Art Studio experience in partnership with Synchrony Bank and Girls Who Code, reaching more than 3,000 participants at a code fair.
Abidi assembled a small but dedicated team to bring Women Rise to life, starting with family members and expanding to include experts in operations, development, partnerships, content, and social media. The core group reflects her emphasis on building inclusive, like-minded communities. The project launched with support from platforms like Rarible, which hosted a 24-hour homepage takeover and public sale. Today, the collection trades on OpenSea, where it continues to find collectors who connect with its message of representation.
In the broader Web3 ecosystem, where participants have historically been predominantly male and English-speaking, Women Rise stands as a deliberate counterpoint. Abidi sought to create space for women-led projects and voices from underrepresented backgrounds. “Representation matters,” she has stressed, noting the need for more women to see themselves as creators, leaders, and innovators in blockchain and beyond. The project encourages female participation in NFTs and aims to recruit more women into the space through community building, storytelling, and shared values.
Abidi’s approach draws from her own experiences. After migrating as a teenager, she balanced studies in neuroscience with her passion for art, often working side jobs while navigating cultural shifts. These challenges informed her advocacy for nurturing environments that support girls in STEM fields from a young age. She points to systemic barriers, such as low venture capital funding for women — especially women of color — and calls on the industry to address them collectively.
Her book “Rise” complements the NFT project thematically. Published by Saqi Books, it presents illustrated stories of pioneering women of color, from historical figures who built institutions to modern trailblazers. The book and the NFT collection together amplify narratives of achievement, using art to educate and empower. Abidi has described how such stories can counter the “doctor-bride phenomenon” she observed in some communities, where professional ambitions for women are sidelined after marriage.
Beyond Women Rise, Abidi continues to innovate. She founded BackPackX, a spatial computing platform focused on storytelling, virtual reality-based education, and tools for marginalized communities. This project extends her belief in technology as a force for positive social impact, leveraging immersive experiences to make learning accessible and engaging.
Exhibitions and speaking engagements have further elevated Abidi’s profile. Her work has appeared at Tate Modern as part of Instagram’s creator week, at SCOPE Art Fair, Frameless Gallery, Outernet in London, K11 Musea in Hong Kong, and Samsung’s flagship store in New York. She has spoken at events including SXSW, Web Summit, NFT.NYC, and Economist Impact’s Metaverse Summit, often addressing topics like the future of learning with NFTs, women in Web3, and harnessing blockchain for social good. In one memorable moment, she interviewed Malala Yousafzai, connecting her artistic advocacy with global education efforts.
The Women Rise collection has achieved commercial success alongside its philanthropic goals. All-time trading volume on secondary markets has been significant, with individual pieces varying in rarity based on traits. While market fluctuations are inherent to NFTs, the project’s enduring value lies in its community and mission. Owners gain more than digital art; many become part of a network committed to the same causes of equality and education.
Critics and supporters alike praise Abidi for bridging traditional art worlds with emerging technologies. Her portraits are not mere profile pictures but visual manifestos for possibility. By depicting women in positions of strength — whether in labs, studios, or activist roles — the collection challenges viewers to envision broader horizons for the next generation.
As Web3 matures, projects like Women Rise highlight its potential to drive real-world change. Abidi’s work demonstrates how decentralized tools can fund scholarships, build communities, and amplify underrepresented stories without traditional gatekeepers. Her emphasis on inclusivity addresses a key gap in the industry, where diversity remains a work in progress.
Looking ahead, Abidi continues her studies and creative output. Her upcoming MFA at Oxford promises to deepen her exploration of contemporary art practice, potentially yielding new immersive installations or digital experiences. She remains vocal about mental health, period poverty, and the interconnected challenges facing girls worldwide, using her platform to advocate for holistic support systems.
In a 2023 interview, Abidi reflected on the evolution of Women Rise: from a collection of 10,000 portraits to a platform for partnerships and education. The project has collaborated with brands and organizations ranging from Coinbase to Adobe, expanding its reach while staying true to its core values.
Abidi’s journey underscores the power of personal story as catalyst. The solitude she found in art as a young immigrant became a tool for collective empowerment. Through hand-drawn traits turned into blockchain tokens, she has helped thousands visualize women rising — not just in imagination, but in opportunity, education, and leadership.
As the NFT market evolves and Web3 seeks greater legitimacy, creators like Abidi offer a model that prioritizes impact over hype. Her factual achievements — exhibitions, publications, fundraising totals, and academic pursuits — ground the project in substance. Women Rise is not a fleeting trend but a sustained effort to make technology serve humanity’s better angels.
For the art world and the blockchain community, Abidi represents a rare synthesis: a technically skilled artist with a clear social vision, backed by measurable outcomes in education funding and community building. Her story invites reflection on how creativity, when paired with purpose and new tools, can reshape narratives and realities.
In an era demanding more inclusive futures, Maliha Abidi’s work stands as both celebration and call to action. The women she portrays — bold, diverse, and unapologetic — mirror the change she seeks to foster. As she prepares for the next chapter of her academic and artistic journey, one thing remains clear: the rise continues.
Women Rise NFT Collection
Darren Smith is an Arts Reporter at Art Chain News covering contemporary art, digital art and NFTs, body art, and the intersections between these fields.
