Thirteen women scientists illustrations make up “Científicas de la Historia” (Women Scientists in History), a travelling exhibition created for the Public University of Navarre (UPNA) and linked to the stage play Yo quiero ser científica (I Want to Be a Scientist). I created the portraits, and the agency Protocolo 66 designed the 14 roll-up panels that accompany them.
Women scientists illustrations
The goal is clear: to give visibility to women who made history in science but have been left out of textbooks and collective memory.
Why don’t we remember their names?
If you were asked right now to name three important women scientists, could you do it? Maybe not, and that is precisely the problem. The exhibition reminds visitors of some striking figures:
- Only 28% of researchers are women.
- Barely 7% of the Nobel Prizes in science have gone to women.
- Only 1 in 10 patents is signed by a woman.
These numbers do not reflect a difference in ability, but gender stereotypes learned in childhood that still weigh on the choice of STEM careers.
The 13 women scientists
Each portrait presents one pioneer in her field, with an attribute that tells her story at a glance: a lab flask, a stack of code, a butterfly net, a telescope or a DNA helix. The selection mixes international figures with two Spanish scientists:
- Hypatia of Alexandria, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher.
- Maria Sibylla Merian, pioneering entomologist and nature illustrator.
- Ada Lovelace, mathematician and author of the first computer algorithm.
- Sofia Kovalevskaya, the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics in modern Europe.
- Marie Sk?odowska-Curie, physicist and chemist, two-time Nobel laureate.
- Emmy Noether, one of the founders of modern algebra.
- Edith Clarke, electrical engineer.
- Klara von Neumann, early computer programmer.
- Hedy Lamarr, actress and inventor of a frequency-hopping technology behind today’s wireless communications.
- Margaret Hamilton, the computer scientist who led the Apollo flight software.
- Dorotea Barnés González, chemist from Pamplona and a pioneer of spectroscopy in Spain.
- María Josefa Molera Mayo, Spanish chemist and researcher.
- Margarita Salas, biochemist and a key figure of molecular biology in Spain.
Illustration for science outreach
These are not just portraits. Each one is a small visual story that makes the scientist approachable, especially for children and teenagers. I used a flat, colourful style with a different background colour for each woman, a full-body pose and objects linked to her discoveries, so the series works both as a set and as individual panels.
The roll-ups designed by Protocolo 66 add a short biography, achievements and a quote from each scientist in clear, accessible language. Together they combine three things:
- Art: illustrations that humanise the scientists and catch the eye from a distance.
- Outreach: texts that explain their contributions simply.
- Social impact: a travelling exhibition that has visited schools and cultural centres across Navarre.
STEM with a woman’s name
Encouraging girls and women to study and work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is not only a matter of fairness. Their presence is essential for excellent research, an inclusive vision, sustainable development and a better future for everyone. The challenge the exhibition sets is simple: by the end of the visit, you should remember not just one name, but at least thirteen women scientists who changed history.
Frequently asked questions
Who created the women scientists illustrations?
I created the 13 original portraits for this exhibition. You can see more of my work in graphic and editorial illustration.
Where has the exhibition been shown?
It has travelled around Navarre, visiting schools and cultural centres, and accompanies the play Yo quiero ser científica.
Do you need illustrations for an exhibition, an educational project or a science outreach campaign? Get in touch and tell me about it.
