This mural was created by the artist Anthea Missy as part of “Women bike the city”, an initiative by the Zijkant non-profit organisation to promote gender equality. The origins of the project lie in a simple observation: According to the Bicycle Observatory, women accounted for only a third (36%) of cyclists in Brussels in 2019. It is true that female cyclists face many obstacles when they want to ride the “little queen”. And yet, more than ever, the bicycle symbolises freedom and emancipation. “The bicycle did more to emancipate women than anything else in the world”, said suffragette Susan B. Anthony back in 1880. Anthea Missy wanted to embody the little girl that lies dormant in every woman, in a cosmic universe inspired by cultural references from the 1980s to the present day, and which takes flight thanks to the feeling of freedom you get when riding a bike with your hair blowing in the wind.

Discover other murals on the Laeken trail.