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CONTENTS
Issue 39/ 2023
Create! Magazine
Interviews
8
10
MOVED BY WATER
Ekaterina Popova reached out to two
Interviews
34
FINDING FRESH INSPIRATION
TO PAINT: INTERVIEW WITH
community artists to inquire about the
JENNIFER BEZAIRE
inspiration they drew from water in their work.
By Alicia Puig
CAREER-IN-FOCUS: ARTIVISM
WITH THE TRACY PIPER
By Alicia Puig
38
NAVIGATING DEPTH:
MICHELE POIRIER MOZZONE’S
“FRACTURED LIGHT” SERIES
By Ekaterina Popova
16
UNDERWATER WORLD BUILDING
& AFROFUTURIST REFUGE:
INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA
CHUNG
by Christina Nafziger
22
ERIKA LEE SEARS'
JOURNEY OF SELF-EXPRESSION
THROUGH BATHTUBS, WINE
AND ARTISTIC RESILIENCE
By Ekaterina Popova
26
CHAOS, COMFORT & COMMUNITY
WITH SOPHIE ADAIR
By Alicia Puig
30
EXPLORING EMOTION THROUGH
LANDSCAPE: A CONVERSATION
WITH SELF-TAUGHT PAINTER
ADAM HALL
By Ekaterina Popova
Andrea Chung, untitled (detail), 2022; resin.
Courtesy of the artist.
Photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
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CONTENTS
Curated Section
50
ARTISTS SELECTED BY CURATORS
BLACK WOMEN IN VISUAL ART
Abiola Adejare
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Tamar Segev
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3 | CREATE! MAGAZINE ISSUE 39
FROM THE EDITOR
a letter from
the editor
connect on Instagram
@createmagazine
Embracing the Joy of Water
Dear Reader,
Water—a source of inspiration, a force to fuel our
creativity and a natural element that flows through every
person’s experience on this planet. Whether it’s the playful
summer vacation splashing in the waves, the serene view
of a local lake to help us recharge or the simple act of
cleansing our tools, water holds an irreplaceable space in
our lives.
And yes, who can forget those silly moments when our
paint water and morning coffee seemed to switch roles.
Remember those countless times when a paintbrush
mistakenly found its way into a cup of morning coffee?
The allure of water calls to us in myriad ways—from the
revitalizing dips of summer swims to the calming, warm
end-of-day shower. Even our plein air sketches are often
fueled by this element.
In this issue, our focus is on the diverse facets of water, as
depicted through interviews, articles and artist highlights.
Dive into the canvases of Adam Hall, where water takes
center stage. Experience the playful and self-nurturing
depictions of Erika Lee Sears, capturing the essence of
self-care in showers and bathtubs. Let the vibrant summer
paintings of Michele Mozzone transport you to a nearby
pool through her paintings filled with colors and light.
In our article section, Christina Nafziger engages in
conversations with trailblazer artists. Join us as we delve
into Tracy Piper’s illustrative prowess, where abstract
realism intertwines with social commentary. Explore
the vision of Andrea Chung, who creates an underwater
mythological sanctuary within her recent exhibition,
inspired by the concept of Drexciya. Alicia Puig introduces
us to Sophie Adair’s ocean-inspired canvases, where
beauty and foreboding coexist.
We’re honored to present the selected artists curated
by Daricia Mia DeMarr and Lauren Jackson Harris, the
visionary co-founders of Black Women in Visual Art. These
pages are a celebration of new talent, carefully curated to
bring fresh perspectives to the pages of our magazine.
As you immerse yourself in these pages, we invite you
to share your thoughts with us on your preferred social
platform. Reflect on the profound influence of water in
both your life and art—a theme that connects us all.
With love,
Photography by Helena Raju
Kat and Team
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MEET THE TEAM
01
02
03
04
05
06
Our Team
Issue #39
5 | CREATE! MAGAZINE ISSUE 39
01
Renan Calara
Artist and Designer
02
Alicia Puig
Director of Business Operations
03
Victoria Kukla
Creative Director & Designer
04
Christina Nafziger
Associate Editor & Writer
05
Zoë Goetzmann
Writer & Podcaster
06
Sarah Mills
Writer & Assistant
07
Ekaterina Popova
Founder & Editor in Chief
Articles and
Interviews
In this section, we delve into the myriad ways artists draw
inspiration from water, from the vastness of oceans to the intimacy
of bathtubs. Immerse yourself in the works of Adam Hall, where
water is the focal point, Erika Lee Sears' whimsical portrayals of
self-care, and Michele Mozzone's vivid poolside scenes. Join Alicia
Puig as she engages with trailblazers like Tracy Piper, an artist who
skillfully blends abstract realism with social commentary. Christina
Nafziger takes us on a journey into Andrea Chung's underwater
mythological world, inspired by the concept of Drexciya, while Alicia
Puig introduces us to Sophie Adair's ocean-inspired canvases that
strikingly juxtapose beauty and foreboding.
This page, top left
Leah Guzman
"Diving Deeper"
This page, top right
Leah Guzman
This page, bottom left
Margot Dermody
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This page, bottom right
Margot Dermody
"White Water 2"
MOVED by WATER
Artists FROM OUR COMMUNITY share THE
INFLUENCE OF WATER on their WORK.
Leah Guzman
ARTIST, BOARD CERTIFIED ART
THERAPIST AND COACH
Artist Leah Guzman is dedicated to the exploration of human emotions and how
they might be experienced, expressed, and identiȴed for the purpose of reȵection,
growth, and manifestation. Her works in Emotional Seascapes isolate emotion in
a singular experience on canvas. She uses the metaphor of water to express her
interior emotional states.
www.leahguzman.com
@ leah.guzman.art
Margot Dermody
ARTIST
The White Water series originates from my time living in Nashville, where we
encountered multiple ȵoods due to our proximity to a river and location on a
ȵoodplain. While it was a beautiful place to call home, the ȵood of 21 had a
deep eect on me, making me acutely aware of the climate change phenomena of
heat and drought interrupted by heavy rainfall.
Consisting of three large abstract paintings, this series aims to acknowledge both
the allure of water and its graceful movements as well as its terrifying capacity to
devastate lives and livelihoods. Through my art, I seek to capture the contrasting
aspects of water s beauty and destructive power, reȵecting the coexistence of these
forces in our environment.
www.margotdermody.com
@margotdermody
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INTERVIEW WITH THE TRACY PIPER
Career-in-Focus:
Artivism with The
Tracy Piper
BY ALICIA PUIG
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INTERVIEW WITH THE TRACY PIPER
“To be a truly conscientious
artist, you have to look at
what’s not working and
challenge it.”
— Kara Walker
The Tracy Piper is a female-identifying, contemporary
painter, muralist, author and art activist. Best known for
her vibrant portraits and figurative acrylic paintings,
Tracy’s illustrative work tackles social constructs in an
abstract-realist style. In this interview, she shares how
her upbringing in Oakland inspired a lifelong mission
to fight for the rights of others through the power of
art.
I love that everyone has a unique path to
becoming an artist. Can you tell us a bit
about yours since—from what I’ve gathered
in a previous interview—circus performer is
among your previous roles?
Learn more
See additional work and
learn more about the
artist at:
www.thetracypiper.
com
Honestly, I believe we are all born artists, but for a
variety of reasons we are told that art is not a viable
option for a career. I am incredibly fortunate to have
always had the opportunity to follow my passions,
from gymnastics when I was 4 years old to then
joining a circus troupe when I was 9. These pillars of
perseverance, hard work and creativity continue to
motivate and push me forward wherever I go.
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I was not the best student—chalk that up to ADHD, a
struggling school system or just how I was built—but I
spent my days doodling in the margins of books waiting
for the bell to ring so I could perform and stand on my
hands. My role models in life were circus performers—
people who already lived outside of what is considered
“normal.” So by the tender age of 16, I said farewell to
what life is “supposed to be,” and I literally ran away
with the circus full time, never looking back.
A significant injury to my back when I was in my early
20s made me search for what was next. Heading to
college felt like starting over for me, however, I knew
the same fundamental pillars would help guide me to a
place that fulfilled me once more. I earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree in illustration from California College of
Arts in 2012 and landed my first duo exhibition in San
Francisco three months later at Nieto Fine Art.
The rest is, as they say, history. I’ve found my calling as
a painter, one that draws on my unique lens of a white
girl from Oakland, who never took no for an answer
and who occasionally still balances on her hands for
fun.
INTERVIEW WITH THE TRACY PIPER
You’ve since become known for vibrant,
ȴgurative paintings and for using your art
as a vehicle for activism. How and when did
those two things begin to intersect for you?
My interest in activism started long before my
painting career. Growing up in Oakland, CA—a place
that has a complicated existence, especially in the
eyes of the United States—galvanized me to the
activism you see today. Our country has continued
to fall on the political side that only benefits those
already in power, exploiting and then leaving so
many people behind. For those of us who grew up
in the Bay Area, we learned a fierce sense of taking
care of each other and our community. When you
are surrounded by this mentality you cannot help
but care for those around you. It’s in my blood. I’ve
been marching for equality since I was born, and
the lineage doesn’t start with me. My parents both
worked in the public sector to make sure voices were
heard. My father worked for the department of fair
employment and housing, and my mother worked in
PR for various community organizations, including
Oakland Public Schools and the mayor's office. This is
just something we do.
Being an artist known for their passion and activism
is just a part of who I am and the result of my life
experiences. I deeply care about representing people
from all walks of life in my work. If my paintings can
make even just a small impact, you damn well know I’ll
be making it.
Congratulations on the release of your
third book! For those who are not familiar
with the concept behind the series of
paintings documented in “SEEN,” Volumes 1
& 2, can you explain it? What are you most
excited about in this new edition?
“SEEN” started from a question that permeates through
all of my work: “how do we feel loved?” When faced with
society at large, this feeling is something that is missing
from so many people's lives. “SEEN” was meant to be
incredibly inclusive, and give a voice to people other
than myself. Capitalism leaves so many of us behind. So
I wanted a project I could work on that anyone could
be a part of. It costs nothing to participate except your
openness to collaborate on a project that incorporates a
user-submitted portrait and the answer to the question
“What does it mean to feel seen?”
I paint 50 different people each year and publish the
paintings and responses in intimate books that are
incredibly powerful. The answers, like the eyes, are
inherently never quite the same, but as you zoom out you
see that the impact of a project like this is one of incredible
connection. We are tied by the bonds of our relationships,
towards ourselves and each other. Reading through each
entry and looking into each eye you find that we all are
doing this human thing together. The incredible trust that
each person has in sharing is not something that I take
lightly, and doing the second iteration of this project this
year I see how truly important it is to have this kind of
soul-soothing outlet in the fine art world, and that it is for
everyone, no matter if they can pay or not.
Can I turn the question back on you—what
does it mean to feel seen? How do you
represent that in your artwork?
My answer is honestly the opposite—not how it feels,
but what the struggle is to feel seen. I did not feel seen
for much of my life, which is interesting because I spent
so much time onstage. But I think a lot of us resonate
with that sentiment: that we put on an act to fit in, but
it’s a masking mechanism of our true selves.
I’ve fought hard to have a voice in this world, battled to
make my way, but my biggest hurdle has been anxiety
and depression, feeling like I will never belong. These
insidious hurdles are good liars, and perhaps that is
why I care so much about making others experience
worthiness … because it makes me feel worthy in turn.
My work tackles these topics––even the seemingly
silliest of paintings do. It is the human condition I’m
trying to capture in each painting. And when I expose
the very tenets of being alive, I know I have made
something good. When anyone can walk up and see
a little bit of themselves in the work, then I know I am
doing something right.
You’re gearing up for your next solo
exhibition with Voss Gallery in late August
2023. What can you share about it?
My upcoming solo exhibition with Voss Gallery, titled
“All the Feels,” aims to do exactly what we have been
talking about: express what it means to be human and
find ourselves and community in those moments. The
featured paintings are deep dives into the complexities
of our psyches, and something I think we need to
address coming out of the isolation we felt during these
last three years. For the first time since I started this 11year art career, I will be working with some new creative
materials and conceptual ideas. I want to challenge
myself after these last two “SEEN” volumes––expect
to see more than just canvas paintings at the show!
I know this solo exhibition will be something truly
special. It will be a love letter to all the messiness, all
the triumphs, confusion, failures, and the very act of
being alive … all the feels indeed!
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INTERVIEW WITH THE TRACY PIPER
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Andrea Chung: if they put an iron circle around your neck I will bite it away installation view at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 2023. Photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
INTERVIEW
Underwater
World Building &
AfroFuturist Refuge:
with Andrea Chung
BY CHRISTINA NAFZIGER
Through her work, Andrea Chung oΊers you a
story. And through this story, she meticulously
builds a world. In her solo exhibition “if they
put an iron circle around your neck I will bite it
away” at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center,
she transforms the space into an underwater
mythological refuge based on the concept of
Drexciya. Through installation, sculpture, mixed
media works and alter-like assemblages, the
artist beautifully constructs an ultramarinecolored cosmos—one that was created out of
bitter necessity, yet lled with survival and hope.
As Chung describes it, Drexciya is an “underwater
world that was populated by the children of
women who Mumped oΊ slave ships.” With the
ocean being one of the only places on this planet
that has yet to be colonized, perhaps it can be a
place where freedom is possible.
The artist’s research-based practice allows her to
fuse together history, West African mythology,
body politics and reproductive health to create
an ethereal environment that challenges and
confronts colonial narratives. In this interview,
Chung shares her many sources of inspiration,
such as Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” the work of
artist Alison Saar, and Drexciya, who were part
of the musical/activist collective Underground
Resistance. Join us in conversation as we discuss
the challenges of planning an exhibition from afar,
the history of Caribbean midwives and the power
of having ownership of your body.
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INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA CHUNG
I would love to learn more about your use
of materials. What medium did you begin
experimenting with in your practice?
I was a painter first. I was actually not even a fine
artist. I went to undergrad for illustration and I hated
it. [After I was out of school for a while,] I went into
an interdisciplinary program for grad school. Then
I realized that I just didn’t care about the history of
Western painting. It’s just learning about painting from
their perspective, and I’d been force-fed enough of
that already. I just wanted to paint. I like the physical
act of painting because I’ll turn on my music really loud
and start painting and dancing while I’m doing it.
I think I would say refuge, rather than utopia. I’m really
interested in this Detroit techno group called Drexciya
that was part of a larger group called Underground
Resistance. They were all about being activists for their
communities. Drexciya created this myth of “Drexciya,”
which is sort of this underwater world that was populated
by the children of women who jumped off slave ships—
pregnant mothers that jumped off slave ships. I just
thought that was a really interesting concept, this idea of
living underwater and what that world was like. Also just
the decision to do that—what would make a woman do
something like that.
I started thinking a lot about Toni Morrison’s book,
“Beloved,” and it’s sort of a similar story: the main
character is about to be recaptured and rather than having
her children be forced into slavery, she kills one. Again, the
desperation that a Black woman would have to be in, in
order to do something like that. I wanted to call that into
question [in the exhibition] and to pose that question to a
white audience, because I knew that Sheboygan, [where
the exhibition is located], is a predominantly white space.
So I wanted that to be a topic of conversation.
I had also been doing research on midwives in the
Caribbean and the power of midwives on plantations, and
they were able to provide enslaved women with the power
of their own reproductive health and do things that gave
them some ownership of their bodies that they might not
have had previously. I think a lot about giving a woman
that kind of power because, what are your options? The
[exhibition] is my interpretation of a Drexciya midwife.
The rooms are all painted blue and there’s blue film on the
windows so that it feels like you’re underwater.
Top: Andrea Chung, untitled (detail), 2022; resin. Courtesy of the artist. Photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
Bottom: Andrea Chung: if they put an iron circle around your neck I will bite it away installation view at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 2023.
Photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Next Page: Andrea Chung, untitled, 2022; paper; 14 x 5 x 3 in. Courtesy of the artist. Photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center
That’s so fun! I would love to know more
about the concept of your show "if they
put an iron circle around your neck I’ll bite
it away” and how it relates to AfroFuturist
Utopia.
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INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA CHUNG
Then you’re inside of the midwife’s laboratory, where
you see all the medicinal herbs that were used by
midwives. There’s also a video by another artist,
Alisha Wormsley, who is interested in [the concept of]
Drexciya as well. I didn’t want to make it seem like I
was the only artist that’s engaging with this subject.
here’s another space that’s kind of like an altar space.
In West Africa, there are some female goddesses,
or “orishas,” that you can attribute to water and
motherhood and Yemayá is that figure, so there’s
an altar to her. She’s the protector of mothers and
children. That space is sort of dedicated to her because
the space itself—the architecture—feels like a chapel,
so it just felt like a natural place for that. The final space
has a group of sculptures with upstretched arms and a
terrarium that is growing with medicinal herbs that the
midwife uses. So it just kind of comes full circle.
Wow. It deȴnitely sounds like a show that
must be experienced in person. It looks like
so much world building was involved.
Yeah, definitely, which was a challenge. It was really
hard, especially working from a distance. You don’t
really know how the space is going to feel until you
physically get there and you start placing things
around the room, which is fun for me but it’s also kind
of scary at the same time. If it doesn’t work, you’re kind
of stuck. It’s really intuitive. It’s not something that you
can always plan for.
I can imagine the only way to ȴgure that
out is to feel the space and be in the space,
especially when it’s not a white cube gallery
space.
Yeah. When you first come in, there’s a more
contemporary space that connects to the other
galleries. It just didn’t fit conceptually with the other
space, so I turned it into a library where I have a
bunch of books that are resources for you to be
able to read about different topics that are brought
up in the exhibition. I also have the original Drexciya
comics, so they’re on display as well. When you enter
the gallery space you are in a room that feels like a
library with built-in bookshelves. So I tried to play
with all of the things that were originally there and just
make them work to my benefit. So that’s where all of
the medicinal herbs are, stacked inside of candy dishes
(incidentally, I’m giving a nod to my earlier work on
sugar/colonialism, basically where there were enslaved
people in the Caribbean). It feels kind of like a cabinet
of curiosities, except not in a colonized way, because
those were just trophies of imperialism.
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This is a little different. I tried to turn it on its head a
bit and make it more healing, as opposed to a space of
domination. I’m also thinking historically about those
kinds of things.
Instead of going in the direction of “cabinet
of curiosities,” what you’re describing
reminds me of some of Betye Saar’s work.
Yeah, I can see that. It’s funny, I feel very connected
to her daughter’s work—Alison Saar. We’ve shown
together and I’ve just really been getting into her work
lately. She actually just did a show at Princeton where
they took some older work and some newer work in
response to the Toni Morrison papers that Princeton
has in their archive. It was kind of serendipitous
that it happened at the same time. I definitely feel a
connection to her work.
I love the connections you’re making within
the exhibition. You’re tying together all
of these dierent lineages within these
concepts, whether it’s through referencing
another artist working within the same
vein or showing your reference material in
the library. Is there a book that you would
recommend that might be a good starting
point for someone if they’re interested in
these concepts?
INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA CHUNG
Definitely “Beloved” by Toni Morrison. There’s a book
called “Contested Bodies” that was really helpful to
me in terms of how midwives were able to empower
women. It delves into [how women] would nurse their
babies for [about] two years so that they didn’t have
to work in the fields. They were really sneaky and
clever—and those are acts of resistance in a lot of
ways. And because men didn’t know anything about
nursing, they just kind of went along with it. [They
were using the men’s] ignorance of the female body
against them.
There’s an author who is at UC Santa Cruz, Kevin
Dawson, and he writes about West Africans’
relationship to water prior to the slave trade. We were
divers, we were good swimmers, we were surfers.
This is so interesting.
Yeah, it’s a really interesting read. He talks about
Igbo Landing [in Georgia]. There were some slaves
that took over a slave ship and they brought it into
port and they knew that they were going to be
enslaved. So they all jumped into a lake and drowned
themselves because they just refused to be taken
into captivity. I’m interested in the ownership of
your body. So they would call that self-destruction,
because you’re not killing yourself because [at
the time you weren’t considered] a person. You’re
destroying property. I’m interested in really thinking
about these semantics and how we’re seen or
identified.
Thinking about water as refuge, it reminds
me of how Octavia Butler talks about space
being a place for Black and Brown folks to
…
… be free.
Yes! I’ve always felt like space and the
ocean are very similar in a lot of ways. We
can’t live in them, we can’t breathe in them
…
We can’t dominate them.
Exactly. We can’t dominate them. I think
there’s a parallel between entering the
ocean and the concept of going into space
for freedom.
There’s definitely a parallel; there is a connection.
[They’re both] these undiscovered spaces that haven’t
been colonized yet.
Instagram: @andreachungstudio
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All images: Andrea Chung. Photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA CHUNG
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REFLECTIONS
Erika Lee Sears'
Journey of SelfExpression Through
Bathtubs, Wine and
Artistic Resilience
BY EKATERINA POPOVA
In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art,
Erika Lee Sears emerges as a vibrant force, breathing
life into her canvases through a unique blend of colors,
reΌections and everyday moments. Sears’ journey
as a self-taught oil painter is a testament to the
transformative power of following one’s creative vision,
no matter how challenging it may feel. From her playful
and introspective bathtub and shower paintings to
her daily commitment to producing art for more than
seven years, Sears invites us into a world where selfcare, introspection and vibrant colors converge.
Diving into her bathtub and shower series, Sears
unveils a deeply personal and relatable narrative.
Balancing the demands of parenthood and the need
for self-indulgence, she captures those Όeeting
moments of solitude and reΌection that are often
found in the bathroom—a sanctuary of personal time.
Amidst fast-food indulgences and sips of wine, Sears’
canvases become mirrors of our own moments of quiet
joy and respite. For this issue, Erika shares all about her
work inspired by water and self-care.
www.atinyrocket.com
23 | CREATE! MAGAZINE ISSUE 39
INTERVIEW WITH ERIKA LEE SEARS
Can you tell us more about your bathtub and
shower paintings featuring fast food and wine?
What inspired you to combine these elements in
your artwork?
I originally started creating this body of work because I have
two small children, and the only time I had any ounce of privacy
was in the bathroom. The few times a week I could really
devote to self-care and self-reflection included bubbles, snacks
and indulgence. Especially during COVID, when there [was]
no sense of privacy at all because everyone [was] at home
… having self-care time became even more meaningful and
reflective. A luxurious bath is always a good time to enjoy a
delicious treat and take time out for yourself.
Transitioning from a corporate job to a full-time,
self-taught oil painter is challenging. What were
some of the hardest aspects of this transition?
A lot of it is hard because a corporate job usually means having
a 401k and a steady paycheck. Once you quit your corporate
job, realizing that when you become self-employed it’s just you
and you are responsible for figuring out how to provide and
support yourself. It’s also challenging to realize that you have to
be growing, making artwork and understanding what avenues
are the best ways to celebrate what you are creating and
making. Plus, doing this process over and over again.
Creating an original piece of art every single
day for more than seven years is a remarkable
commitment. How do you manage to stay inspired
and motivated throughout this ongoing project?
Moreover, how do you motivate yourself when
your energy is low?
Artists and creatives are the documenters of time. Whatever
work you create has a chance to truly live in this world and
be acknowledged and enjoyed. Enjoyment is subjective due
to the feelings and the artist’s intentions. Artwork can outlast
us and convey the emotions or magic the artist infused into
it. I do go through times when I feel uninspired, but there are
so many things right in front of your face that you could be
inspired by. I often make lots of lists, thoughts or watch “The
Real Housewives”—sometimes all it takes is to catch an idea.
Making a lot of art lets you take chances and create as much
art as you want, whether it’s good, bad or even silly.
How has becoming a parent inȵuenced your
decision to embark on this creative journey?
Being a parent is one of the toughest jobs around, but it makes
me contemplate time—how fleeting it is and where we are in it.
It encourages me to paint even more and think about artwork
even more.
How do you choose your subjects? What draws you
to an object, still life or scene?
I am very much drawn to color, the power of light and things
that make me smile or laugh. Not necessarily in this order.
What are you most fascinated with when it comes
to your art practice in this chapter of your life?
I think the biggest thing I am considering is what inspires me,
not what inspires everyone else. Truly listening to your creative
magic is challenging in a noisy world. This chapter is filled with
many ideas on the horizon and releasing them.
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INTERVIEW WITH ERIKA LEE SEARS
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INTERVIEW
Chaos, Comfort &
Community with
Sophie Adair
BY ALICIA PUIG
You’d likely guess that Sophie Adair’s turbulent,
representational seascapes were created by
an artist who’s spent a lifetime by the ocean.
But you’d be wrong. Using inspiration gathered
from various trips to the south of France, and a
recent transformative residency experience in
Canada, she creates arresting images that are
as beautiful as they are ominous. Fascinated by
storms since a young age, she now incorporates
their powerful, chaotic nature into her dramatic
seascapes.
Her choice of subject acts as a metaphor for her
creative journey. In both you’ll nd swells and
lulls, calmness but also intensity, and an ability
to spark joy and curiosity. As such, her work is
much more than realistic compositions of waves
and water. Rather, it’s an intimate, emotional
expression of the artist’s creative mind.
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INTERVIEW WITH SOPHIE ADAIR
By Alicia Puig
When did you begin painting? What about
the medium made you fall in love with it
and keeps you excited to this day?
Where I’m from in the North of England, being an
artist was never really an option, or at least it wasn’t
spoken about as if it was. I loved my art lessons in
school, but I didn’t get a high enough grade to study
art in college. It was suggested I take textiles instead.
I learned so much from the two years I studied there,
but I still had never picked up a paintbrush, and again,
a career in the arts was never even hinted at as a real
career path.
At the age of 19, I packed up my life into two
suitcases and moved to Paris on a whim. There, I met
my fiancé, who was starting his own video game
studio. Watching him fulfill his dream made me realize
I could have my own. On a break between tutoring
jobs, I found myself walking around the city (I had
nothing else to do) and stumbling across an art shop.
I spent my last €10 on a cheap watercolor set and
some awful paper and became obsessed with creating
again. I spent most of that summer sketching small
paintings and having my mind blown. It was about a
year later when I tried oils for the first time and fell in
love. I’ve never been good at expressing how I feel,
and painting really helps my inner child come forth
and take the reins. Oils in particular are my go-to
medium because I love how they feel on the canvas,
plus they can be very forgiving. It’s okay to make
mistakes—you can just paint right over them, and it is
for that reason I love them to this day.
Moody, dark, chaotic. Can you talk about
your ongoing interest in painting water in
your characteristic style?
Growing up I had a tumultuous childhood, and so
chaos feels most comfortable to me. I have always
been drawn to storms. As a child, I loved the feeling
of being tucked in bed and hearing a storm outside.
In fact, to this day when it storms, I open up my
bedroom window. My apartment is on the top floor,
which means there is an incredible view of the skyline.
I stand there and watch it in fascination.
When I first started painting, I shied away from dark
and moody seascape pieces because I didn’t believe
that they would relate to my audience. But as time
went on, I kept coming back to them. To my surprise,
I found that there are also a lot of beautiful people
out there who can appreciate the beauty and power
of them; it’s not just me! After a while, I gave in and
started listening to what I was drawn to painting. It
was the best thing I ever did.
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A big part of what makes your work
instantly recognizable as yours is your
color palette. Is working in a limited palette
to support the emotional eect of the
work, a technical device to achieve realism,
both or something else?
From a practical point of view, as a self-taught artist,
I spent a lot of the first few years experimenting
and trying to learn everything I possibly could. The
trouble was, I never had enough money to buy all the
colors of paints every single “guide to painting” was
telling me I absolutely needed. I could only afford
the absolute basics and so I learned how to create
my color palette using those. Now it has become
ingrained into my process.
Practicality aside, I take a lot of inspiration from old
black-and-white photographs and memories; having
a limited palette helps me to achieve that effect. The
current series I’m working on incorporates fullcolor figures into my work, and I love the contrast
between the decaying monochromatic landscape
and the women who are seemingly perfect within the
monochromatic world/memory I have created.
Do you have one particular memory related
to the ocean or sea that sticks out in your
mind? Where was it?
I have never lived close to the sea and so it has always
been a mystery to me. My fiancé, however, grew up
a 10-minute walk away in the south of France, and
the first time I visited his family I was fascinated by
the fact that they treated the ocean as something
normal and of no significance, because it’s always
there. Another time I went to visit it was in wintertime
and we went on a drive along the coast. There was a
huge storm brewing and it was incredible. I could feel
the power of the ocean and it made me feel so alive. I
took so many photographs and videos (I think people
thought I was crazy!) that later became the inspiration
for lots of my work.
Do you have one particular memory related
to the ocean or sea that sticks out in your
mind? Where was it?
I did! I honestly haven’t come back to reality, even
months later. It was such an amazing experience that I
never imagined I’d have. I headed there for one month
in March this year. Pouch Cove is way up north in
Newfoundland, which meant whilst I was there it was
winter and the perfect place for stormy and snowy
inspiration.
INTERVIEW WITH SOPHIE ADAIR
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INTERVIEW
Exploring Emotion
Through Landscape:
A Conversation with
Self-Taught Painter
Adam Hall
BY EKATERINA POPOVA
Nestled in the heart of Franklin, TN, accomplished self-taught
contemporary oil painter Adam Hall exhibits the emotive
power of art. With almost two decades of professional
experience, Hall’s journey started on a musical note, touring
with various bands while cultivating a newfound passion
for painting. His latest collection delves into the symbiotic
relationship between humanity and nature. Each of his
paintings acts as a portal, providing an immersive experience
that transports the observer into nature’s embrace, granting
them a moment of reΌection on the world’s beauty and
chaos. In a recent interview, Hall delves into his profound
connection to water, a recurring motif in many of his works.
He articulates the allure of painting the ocean, a subject that
seamlessly marries the raw and unforgiving with the serene
and captivating. As he contemplates the ocean’s depths and
currents, he oΊers a poignant reminder of the profound
connection that binds humanity to the sea. Join us as we
delve deeper into the artist’s work, his relationship with water
and more in this exclusive interview.
www.adamhallart.com
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INTERVIEW WITH ADAM HALL
Water plays a signiȴcant role in many of
your paintings. Can you share what draws
you to this element?
I find it quite meaningful and fulfilling to paint nature
because of the connection we all seem to have with
it. Naturally, I was drawn to broadening my landscape
paintings and exploring an entire water series. Pretty
quickly I became obsessed with how much more
emotion they brought out of me. Painting the water
is also quite meditative and seems to accelerate a
free-flowing state in the process. I’m always trying to
capture a good balance of the harsh reality the ocean
brings and how that parallels our lives. Meaning, the
ocean is not always this polaroid beach vacation
scene, but it’s harsh and raw and unforgiving, yet full
of beauty and mystery. My favorite ocean paintings
are the ones that can pull on the full spectrum of
emotions exploring those elements of darkness and
light. I’m constantly reminded of how much humans
and the ocean are connected. The ocean has forever
drawn us near and will always be deeply connected
to us. Because there is such a common thread in
most of us that is drawn to the water, my paintings
can quickly connect with the viewer. That connection
is so satisfying to be a part of. Hopefully, my ocean
paintings can remind others of the connection we
have to the ocean and its vital importance to our
world.
In your most recent paintings, you explore
the allure of nature and humanity’s
relationship with it. What experiences do
you hope the viewer has when looking at
your art?
Sometimes I think that immersing ourselves in nature
almost taps into some genetic memory from our
ancestors. Whether I’m out hiking or in the ocean, it
feels like medicine, or maybe like a digital detox of
sorts. I’m not looking at my phone or thinking about
business, but I’m dialed in to my surroundings. There
is also an aspect of being in nature that reminds us
of beauty and reverence. My hope is that the viewer
will find a connection to the work that sparks an inner
reflective feeling and a sense of wonder. I want to
transport the viewer into a moment in time, providing
space to reflect amidst a chaotic, beautiful world.
Parenthood and being an artist can be
quite challenging to navigate. What do
you ȴnd to be the most diɝcult part of
balancing these two important aspects of
your life?
Being a father and an artist are two incredible parts
of who I am that provide so much purpose to my life.
It is definitely a balancing act that adds a lot of extra
pressure and stress to everyday life. If I’m not careful
I can find myself just constantly worrying about the
“what ifs” and how I need to be the best possible
provider/protector I can be. Can’t remember the
original quote, but it truly is like having your heart
forever walking around outside of you. So it’s hard
sometimes to justify spending so much time in the
studio or away from them, but at the same time I love
that they get to see me pursue a dream. My kids are
a constant inspiration and reminder to me of what’s
truly important in life.
Could you take us through your process of
choosing a subject for a painting and how
you go about gathering references and
images to create your artwork?
My references are a pretty good mixture of personal
images I’ve stored into organized folders, as well
as images I’ve collected online. My iPhone and
laptop are full of endless folders that I store images
in whenever I see something that sparks an idea
for a painting. Typically, I’ll be working on a show
and start putting together a vision board of sorts
that has color tones, textures, landscape vibes and
title concepts. After that creative brainstorming, I’ll
start Frankensteining images together in Photoshop
and curating ideas until something jumps out at me.
Sometimes choosing a scene to paint just comes
to me, and other times it’s a lot of work. Rick Rubin
once said in an interview that “a big part of an artist’s
success is having great discernment,” and I really
believe that’s true.
Lastly, what has being an artist gifted
you in your life, both personally and
professionally?
Making the leap to become a full-time professional
artist gifted me with a fulfilling purpose to create
and share my talents with others. To have the ability
to spend all my workday hours on something I’m so
passionate about is never lost on me. Personally, this
career path has gifted me so much freedom to be
more present with my family. I’m forever grateful and
hope it lasts forever.
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INTERVIEW WITH ADAM HALL
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INTERVIEW
Finding Fresh Inspiration
to Paint: Interview with
Jennifer Bezaire
BY ALICIA PUIG
Vintage frames and timeless landscapes describes Jennifer
Bezaire’s artwork in a nutshell. But in this exclusive interview,
you’ll learn more about the thrill of the hunt for each
painting’s perfect nishing touch and how a focus on color
and capturing light allows her to achieve that classic feel in
her work. Her story is one of rekindled creativity that’s sure to
inspire those who have taken a pause from their art for some
time or who have recently dipped their toes back into making
again. As her journey shows, you just never know what may
happen when inspiration strikes again and you choose to run
with it—or perhaps I should say paint with it!
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INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER BEZAIRE
After taking a break from art for several
years, how did you get started again? That’s
often the hardest step. So, what helped
keep you motivated?
In some ways, it was very easy! After staying home
with my boys for nine years, my youngest started
kindergarten and I had a lot of alone time to fill while
trying to decide if/how I wanted to return to work
(I really did NOT want to return to a 9-to-5 office
job). I’ve always loved being creative. I follow several
artists on Instagram, and enjoy collecting original
art and art prints. I think seeing all the beauty and
creativity shared on Instagram reminded me of how
much I enjoyed painting with oils years ago and made
me curious to try painting again. My birthday rolled
around at the start of 2020 and I decided to buy artist
paints and brushes and see what happened! It was
definitely a rough start, but seeing progress, even
slow, is really motivating. Realizing that I could learn
(relearn?) to paint and surprising myself when I would
paint something that I wanted to hang on my wall
helped me continue practicing regularly.
Can you talk us through ȴnding your style?
How did you learn by working with various
mediums?
For me, finding my style just evolved organically. As
I practiced painting and learned how to work with
acrylics, my work slowly began looking like the same
person painted each piece. I tend to be drawn towards
certain colors and shades and that is a little bit of it as
well. While I love muted colors and paintings, my work
never ends up that way! There are so many artists
whom I admire and occasionally wish I painted more
like, but when I pick up a brush, this is just what comes
out of my hands! I do think that working in and learning
different mediums (acrylic, oil and gouache) has been
so helpful for me, especially in terms of color mixing.
Originally I started by using several different tubes of
premixed color, but now I typically mix from primaries,
and I really love seeing the difference between brands
and mediums (it can also be frustrating)! It’s been a
great way to learn and practice color theory. .
Are your landscapes real or imagined?
What do you aim to capture in your work?
My landscapes almost always start from a photo or
video that I’ve taken! Sometimes I really strive to capture
what I see in my reference as accurately as I’m able, but
other times I get my layout roughed in and then just see
where the piece goes as I paint it. I rarely paint strictly
from imagination, however, because those pieces of mine
all tend to look the same. I’m always working on how I
see the light and shadows in the reference photo (or how
I remember it from being there) and capturing that look
and feel in my work.
Your frames are such an integral part of
the presentation of your art and it’s clear
you are so intentional with them. How do
you ȴnd the right frames and how do you
know when you’ve picked the perfect one
for a piece?
I absolutely love vintage and antique frames and I
spend hours searching for them! It’s literally a daily
search because you never know what you’ll find.
Before I start painting a new piece, I look through my
frame collection and pick out a few that I feel drawn
to or know might work well for what I’m planning
to paint. Unless I know I want to use a particular
frame, I hold a few frames up to my reference photo
and this helps me choose a specific frame, as well as
the painting layout and colors. This method usually
works great! Occasionally though, I just don’t love
the finished piece in the intended frame and I will try
several frames until I find one that looks perfect.
What would you consider your greatest
achievement as an artist thus far, and what
helped you accomplish it?
Having people I’ve never met reach out to buy one of
my pieces and others continuing to collect my work
is both humbling and gratifying! Considering I started
painting again just for myself and to see if I could do it,
it definitely feels like such an accomplishment to share
my work with people around the world. My family—
husband, sister, mom—were the push I needed to begin
sharing my work online and entering my first art show.
I’m shy and putting my work out there for anyone (or
no one) to see was really scary but I’m thankful they
encouraged and pushed me to do it.
What is your priority in the studio at the
moment?
Trying to find balance. Balance between painting for
my own shop/clients and the art studio I’m a part of.
Balance between what I feel drawn to paint and what
I feel my collectors are asking for. And always trying
to find inspiration for my work! I don’t ever want to
lose the desire or interest in painting, and finding fresh
inspiration by getting out in nature is key for me. .
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INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER BEZAIRE
A goal for the next year? (Or, feel free to
tell us about anything you have coming up!)
Next year, I would really like to step outside my
comfort zone a little more and enter a few more art
shows. Standing around and talking to people I don’t
know feels awkward, but at the same time it is so nice
to hear what people like and are drawn to, or which
piece speaks to them and why. I also plan on working
a collection of framed prints! I am thrilled with how
prints of my pieces have turned out and I’ve worked
so hard on them. I really want to showcase them in
such a way that people who are just starting to collect
art, or who aren’t in a position to buy an original piece
yet, see the beauty and accessibility in fine art prints.
Whether they just need ideas on how to frame a print
for themselves or they want the perfect vintage frame
already picked out and paired with a print, I want to
make it easy.
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INTERVIEW
Navigating Depth:
Michele Poirier Mozzone’s
“Fractured Light” Series
BY EKATERINA POPOVA
Massachusetts-based artist Michele Poirier Mozzone has
developed a unique creative process through years of
experimenting with various mediums, including watercolor,
pastel and oils. Her fascination with the human form and the
transformative properties of water deeply resonate within
her “Fractured Light” series. This series explores the interplay
of abstract color, texture and gestural representation, an
idea sparked by a spontaneous photoshoot of her daughter
swimming. As part of our water-themed issue, we delve deeper
into the artist’s relationship with the element and its inΌuence on
her art. Enjoy this exclusive interview, in which Michele candidly
shares how water’s profound inΌuence has shaped her creative
process and artistic vision.
www.poirier-mozzone.com
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INTERVIEW WITH MICHELE POIRIER MOZZONE
a combination of steps that achieve a desired effect in
my work.
Your work often features the ȴgure under
water. What draws you to this element?
Ever since I could hold a pencil, I have gravitated
toward drawing people. It is not surprising that I am
still exploring my fascination with depicting the human
form in my work. I enjoy intuitively exploring patterns,
mark-making and the interplay of colors, but I also
love painting the figure. The paintings are not about
anyone in particular, but about capturing a common
experience, memory or idea. Like many people, I am
drawn to the water—its constant motion, energy,
beauty and how it transforms color, light and form.
Most of us have experienced the sound of bubbles
rushing past our ears, the broken ribbons of sunlight,
bizarre reflections, fascinating distortions and the
weightless, slow dance of movement below the water’s
surface. It is a subject matter that has held my attention
for 13 years and still fascinates me today.
Could you share the original inspiration and
concept behind your beautiful “Fractured
Light” series of paintings?
How has your journey with dierent
mediums, from watercolor to pastel and
ultimately oils, inȵuenced your creative
process?
For years after college, I worked in watercolor. I still
love the medium for its translucence and inherent
beauty. I became accustomed to “saving the whites,”
the practice of using the white of the paper as your
lightest light in a watercolor painting and allowing
pieces of white paper to remain. I love white bits of
paper that add life and sparkle to a painting. In 2010 I
decided to try something different and began to take
workshops in pastel. I quickly came to appreciate the
medium’s expressiveness and immediacy. I began by
layering pastel over watercolor underpaintings on
pastel paper. Similar to “saving the whites,” I found
letting pieces of the underpainting show through the
pastel added richness and contrast. Since 2016, I have
been translating my “Fractured Light” series into oil
paintings. I often begin with a bright underpainting—
usually in acrylic—and build up layers of oil paint, while
letting the underpainting enhance and peek through.
Those early years of working in watercolor got me
in the practice of thinking and planning a couple of
steps ahead, especially as it relates to color. It is often
Although I have painted for most of my life, I began
to focus intensely on my art practice in 2010. It was
a time of creative rebirth for me. I pushed myself to
experiment and find a subject matter that I could
develop into a series. Shortly after I started using
pastel, I spent a few months painting abstract works
without any planning—just free-flow abstraction. I
found it very difficult! Besides a new appreciation for
good abstract art, I came away with many mediocre
paintings and a feeling that maybe this was a waste
of time.
One exceptionally beautiful afternoon at the pool
in 2011, I was struck by the ribbons of sunlight and
interesting distortions affecting my daughter through
the moving water. I was also keenly aware of catching
this lovely, brief moment with her before it flickered by.
I grabbed my camera and took numerous photos of her
in the water in hopes of using them in a painting. Then
it hit me—what if I tried to incorporate an image of the
figure in water onto my abstract paintings?
That was the beginning of my “Fractured Light” series.
I no longer use old abstract paintings as a base, but
those early pieces taught me that I am drawn to
abstract passages of color and texture alongside
gestural representation.
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INTERVIEW WITH MICHELE POIRIER MOZZONE
How do you plan for your work, and what
is the process of ȴnding references like for
you?
My window of opportunity for capturing sun-filled pool
photos here in Massachusetts is quite limited. Having
models at the ready when the weather cooperates
can also be difficult. But when I have models, sunlight
and a warm summer day, I usually take videos with
my GoPro camera. From them, I can select images
that have potential as paintings. It takes a lot of video
footage to get just a few painting references, which I
then manipulate on the Procreate app to enhance color
and composition, if necessary.
What are your favorite activities when you
are not creating or working in the studio?
How do you recharge?
I love spending time with my friends and family—my
husband and I have three daughters and two great
sons-in-law. We spend a lot of wonderful family time
on Cape Cod. My perennial flower garden has always
been another interest-bordering-on-obsession for me
and a source of replenishment when I’m feeling spent.
What excites you the most about the
direction your art is taking now, and do
you have any upcoming projects or themes
you’re eager to explore?
The works of Gustav Klimt have always appealed
to me for his use of flat planes of color and pattern
alongside beautifully rendered figures. Instagram is
a great source of inspiration for me. I have found so
many current artists that are doing great work. Lately,
the amazing work of @rossoartist has inspired me to
explore using stencils and more pattern in my work.
I love the dichotomy between a beautifully painted
figure against a passage of flat abstraction. This is
where I see my work going in the foreseeable future.
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Curated
Section
We are delighted to introduce the finalists selected by the CoFounders and Partners of Black Women in Visual Art (BWVA) for
our curated section. BWVA, an organization serving women and
visual art professionals of the African Diaspora, strives to foster
networks, provide resources, and develop programs that enhance
visibility and leadership in the visual arts and cultural sectors. The
founders of BWVA are Lauren Jackson Harris, an arts professional
and independent curator passionate about networking and
fostering connections within the arts and cultural field, and Daricia
Mia Demarr, a cross-disciplinary curator and visual art executive
dedicated to promoting creative and critical engagement and
fostering social, cultural, and personal growth through the arts.
Website:
www.blackwomeninvisualart.com
CURATED SECTION
Marcela Mariel
Montemayor
Website:
www.saatchiart.com/marcelam
Instagram:
@marcelamariell
Marcela Mariel Montemayor, born in 1990 in Monterrey, Nuevo León,
México, is an artist whose work is infused with nostalgia, childhood
memories, and vibrant colors. Through my paintings, I usually depict
objects such as balloons, food, and candy wrappers that evoke cultural
significance and an emotional connection to my personal experiences
and upbringing. I choose to utilize these elements to create a sense
of familiarity and nostalgia for the viewer, inviting them to reflect on
their own memories and emotions. My aim is to forge connections and
shared experiences through my art.
My passion for painting has allowed me to share my creations with audiences across the world. As a professional artist, I've had the opportunity to showcase my work in different locations, including Mexico, the
United States, India, and Italy. I am proud to say that my pieces are now
part of private collections around the globe. Additionally, I have had
the opportunity to participate in several painting competitions in my
home country, which has been an incredible experience.
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CURATED SECTION
Gail Butters
Cohen
Website:
www.gailbutterscohen.com
Instagram:
@gailbcreates
Gail Butters Cohen is an expressive figurative and landscape
artist. Currently living between Delray Beach in South Florida
and her cottage in the Laurentian mountains, she is inspired by
long walks in the woods and working in her lakeside studios.
Intergenerational connections and the ways in which Mother
Nature and human nature converge and shape one another
reveal compelling narratives in the artwork.
Working in mixed media is integral to Butters Cohen’s process, resulting in unique pieces which tell their own individual
stories. Countless layers of both human-made and natural
materials are added and subtracted during the intuitive creative process. Butters Cohen embraces the concepts of memory
and relationships, the lost and found, and invites them into her
work, representing the undulating seasons of life.
As a creator, Butters Cohen’s desire is that the viewer has a personal and individual response to her work, finding a connective
thread and emotional resonance that ties back to their own
lived experiences.
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CURATED SECTION
Isabel Lu
Website:
www.isabel-lu.com
Instagram:
@isabellu
Isabel Lu, MPH, RD, (she/they) is a Chinese American visual artist and
health equity researcher, born and raised in North Carolina. Isabel
pursued Western nutritional science during her undergraduate studies
at Cornell University and later focused on public health and dietetics
as a graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill.
Initially planning to pursue a PhD researching access to culturally-appropriate foods for Asian American populations, Isabel made
the ultimate decision to follow the path of the arts as a means to communicate and support community well-being. After completing her
Masters of Public Health, Isabel served as the 2022 Artist in Residence
at Durham Art Guild. During this time, she developed a participatory
body of work that delved into the exploration of identity through food
and storytelling.
Presently, Isabel holds the position of 2023 Emerging Artist in Residence at Artspace in Raleigh. Here, she concentrates on utilizing community-driven art to promote the well-being of Asian American (AA)
creatives and communities in North Carolina. Drawing from her personal identity as an asexual, gender-non-conforming Chinese American who grew up in the South, Isabel actively explores and challenges
socially accepted representations of ethnicity, sexuality, and gender
through the lenses of food, history, and relationships.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
Isabel's work delves into the exploration of ethnic, sexual, and gender identity
through the lenses of food, history, and relationships. After gaining insights from
BIPOC food justice leaders like Robin Wall Kimmerer and Karen Washington, as
well as Traditional Chinese Medicine practices, Isabel came to understand that
our connection to food, environments, and bodies surpasses the complexities
captured and conveyed by Western scientific methods. To shed light on what can
be defined as 'science,' 'evidence,' and 'truth,' she parallels and contrasts these
standards from both Eastern and Western perspectives.
Drawing from her identity as an asexual, gender-non-conforming Chinese American who grew up in the South, Isabel employs color to express and challenge
socially accepted representations of ethnicity, sexuality, and gender.
Currently, Isabel is developing a body of work titled 'Yíngyang,' which explores
queer AA identity through food, particularly investigating intergenerational
relationships and AA history. 'Yíngyang' translates to 'nutrition' in Mandarin
and shares similarities with the well-known Taoist concept of 'Yin' and 'Yang.' In
Traditional Chinese Medicine, 'Yin' and 'Yang' represent two opposing but interdependent forces or energies. For instance, one should consume a balance of
'warming' and 'cooling' foods, experience both rest and activity, peace and stress.
Through her creations, Isabel finds themes of 'push and pull' prevalent in many
AA stories: food evokes feelings of shame and pride, responsibility and opportunity, beauty and cruelty. The purpose of these paintings is to reflect the dualism of
the AA experience.
Isabel collaborates with AA individuals to co-develop paintings, inviting them
into the studio for conversations about their identity and connections to food.
Together, they develop concepts that resonate with both parties, and Isabel photographs them in a manner that conveys their stories. Additionally, she conducts
research and paints foods used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practices,
contrasting these ideas against Western nutrition standards, gender norms, and
cultural practices. The aim of these paintings is not only to document the diversity of experiences, identities, and histories of AA and our foods in North Carolina
but also to capture the ways in which these foods interact with our identities and
relationships.
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Heather Allison
Website:
www.heatherallisonphotography.com
Instagram:
@venerationoȵight
Living near the tempest-prone shores of the northern coast of California,
Heather Allison's work is shaped by fog-filled skies and moody beaches.
She is best known for her pensively lit still-life photographs featuring
exotic and domestic ephemera. Heather skillfully arranges taxidermy,
flowers, bones, and books into dramatic compositions reminiscent of
the vanitas style Dutch master botanical paintings. Her photos delicately
balance between the macabre and the sublime, paying homage to her
love for Victorian memento mori while equally revering the beauty of life.
Heather's deep appreciation for art history is evident in her works, as
she adeptly connects the modern age to her predecessors in visual art.
Although she initially began her career in photojournalism and event
coverage, it was the sudden passing of a family member that inspired
Heather to delve into the transience of life through still-life imagery. This
exploration revitalized her passion for the medium, and she continues to
pursue it wholeheartedly.
Heather holds an AA in Photojournalism from Brooks Institute of
Photography, a BFA in Art History from the Academy of Art University, and
an MFA in Fine Art Photography from AAU. Her captivating imagery has
been displayed in exhibitions across the United States and internationally.
Heather's work has also been featured in renowned art publications
such as The Shoutflower. She maintains close working relationships with
luxury interior design firms like Raven Vanguard, and her pieces grace
private collections both domestically and overseas.
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Public mourning once played a significant role in everyday life, as exemplified by
Queen Victoria and the culture she created and embraced after the death of Prince
Albert. However, in modern times, the discussion of grief has become taboo to the
extent that most people avoid even acknowledging human mortality, acting as if
death is contagious. This leaves those experiencing grief feeling isolated and alone
in their pain. Nevertheless, in recent years, the global pandemic has altered this
perspective and compelled us all to face collective grief. We are now confronted
with the need to accept death in a way we have never had to before.
For as long as I can remember, I have been preoccupied with human mortality.
However, it was my own personal experience with the unexpected loss of my father
due to complications with chemotherapy that initially inspired me to turn my focus
toward fine art and the still-life genre, with an emphasis on grief.
This exploration led to the creation of my body of work titled "Awaken," where I indulge my fixation and construct vanitas tableaux that reflect on death – a once-normalized approach to acknowledging mortality and appreciating the beauty of life.
Through carefully crafted still-life photographs, digitally captured and brimming
with hidden messages, iconography, and expressions of color, I seek connection
to the deceased and delve into the complexities of grief. In doing so, I reclaim and
elevate the categorization of still life as an art form.
The images from this body of work offer an intimate experience for the viewer, encouraging inner contemplation on our ever-evolving relationship with the transient
nature of life. They also provide a safe space for mourning and connection. When
you encounter someone who has experienced grief as you have, everything changes.
In summary, my work aims to break the silence surrounding grief, honoring the tradition of public mourning while also creating a meaningful and introspective space
for individuals to connect with their emotions and shared experiences of loss.
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Arielle
Austin
Website:
www.arielle-austin.com
Instagram:
@arielle_austin
Arielle Austin is an abstract painter currently residing and working in
Austin, Texas. Embracing abstraction, this Los Angeles native finds the
freedom to play and explore curiosities, seeking ways to express her
inner world beyond the confines of words. Her paintings serve as visual representations of her journey towards reclaiming her voice and
nurturing internal and spiritual healing.
Through her artistic practice, Austin shares the fruits of her creative
process, encouraging viewers to bring their own experiences and true
selves into the viewing. This invitation allows for hope and light to
mend and liberate on its own terms.
Her artwork has been exhibited at notable venues such as The George
Washington Carver Museum, The Carver in San Antonio, Gallery 440
in Fort Worth, Saatchi's The Other Art Fair in Dallas, and Commerce
Gallery in Lockhart. Moreover, her work adorns corporate and private
collections, both nationally and internationally.
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La línea
el cuerpo
Website:
www.lalineaelcuerpo.com
Instagram:
@la_linea_el_cuerpo_
The line La línea el cuerpo integrates Jorge Tejeda's body of work. Jorge was born
in Lima, Peru, and emigrated to Montreal, Canada in 2009, where he has lived and
worked ever since. He is a professional architect who also navigates between architecture and art as a self-taught artist. While his primary focus as an architect is on designing bridges, as an artist, he delves into the bridge that connects the self with inner
emotions. Jorge's passion for drawing and painting has been evident since his early
years, but it was in 2020 that he began pursuing it seriously, giving significant importance to drawing, painting, and the development of his body of work.
Under his artist's name, which means "the line the body," he concentrates on the
human figure, particularly the male form. Lines play a vital role in the construction of
his drawings, serving as both masses and voids. Sensitivity, strength, movement, and
stillness are recurrent themes in his visual universe. The emotions that lie beneath the
surface often inspire his compositions. He strives to portray inner beauty. His artwork reveals the inner emotions of men, caught between a facade of strength and an
awareness of deep sensitivity. The interplay between these two realities gives rise to
moments of movement and stillness. Jorge aims to convey awareness, openness, and
a sense of limitless possibilities, all expressed through the language of the male body,
often faceless, allowing ample room for interpretation. His art is figurative, but with an
abstract-oriented composition. It is characterized by minimalism, high contrast, and
a distinctly graphic quality. The queerness of his characters is also a recurring theme
in his work. Jorge primarily uses materials such as acrylic painting and acrylic-based
markers on paper and wood panels.
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Joanna
Pilarczyk
Website:
www.joannapilarczyk.com
Instagram:
@joannapilarczyk
Joanna Pilarczyk is a London-based contemporary figurative painter and art educator. Born
in Poland, Joanna studied at the Art University in Zielona Gora, where she earned a Master's
degree in Visual Arts and Art Education.
Having moved to London over a decade ago, Joanna immediately fell in love with the city, captivated by its diverse cultures and vibrant energy. Within the artist community of North London, she began painting oil portraits of new acquaintances and friends, reflecting the unique
essence of the city.
In her recent series of paintings, Pilarczyk focuses on portraying mixed-race and gay couples.
To create these works, the artist engages in discussions with her friends and models, delving
into their experiences, love stories, and struggles related to racism, sexuality, and cultural
diversity.
Pilarczyk's artistic talent has earned her recognition and accolades. She was the recipient of
the Boynes Monthly Artist Award and a finalist for the Women United Art Prize in both 2022
and 2021. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at prestigious
venues like the Other Art Fair in Truman Brewery and the Start Art Fair in Saatchi Gallery,
London. Additionally, she showcased her newest paintings at a solo show with Oink Gallery,
featuring pieces from her 'My Paradise' series. Furthermore, Joanna actively participated in
the Spring and Summer editions of the Other Art Fair in 2022.
Her artwork has even crossed international borders, with her painting from the 'Intimate
Times' series being exhibited at 33 Contemporary Gallery in Chicago and Mixx Atelier Gallery in Telluride, USA. Moreover, she contributed her art to the 'Memories in Hindsight' group
show at J/M Gallery in Notting Hill, London.
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Hopeton St.Clair
Hibbert Jr.
Website:
www.stclairrenaissance.com
Instagram:
@stclair_renaissance
Hopeton St. Clair Hibbert, Jr. (b. 1975) is an Atlanta-based intra-disciplinary contemporary
artist who explores the abstract connections between humanity and nature across various
media. Hibbert’s work articulates the frenetic cycles of the human experience and attunes
our senses to discover the world's often unseen beauty by linking the physical and metaphysical worlds. Influenced by renowned photographer Gordon Parks' approach to documenting life across media and the Spanish sculptor Julio González’s alchemic mastery of
metal, his mixed media works include works on paper—created using Hibbert’s characteristic, ultra-detailed technique called hyper-sharpening—as well as freestanding sculptures.
Born of Jamaican descent and raised in Hillsboro, New Jersey, by his mother—a personal
chef and artist in her own right—Hibbert relocated to Atlanta as a teenager in 1993. He
began his journey in the culinary arts after attending culinary school at Johnson & Wales
University in Charleston, SC, graduating in 1998 with a degree in Culinary Arts. During that
time, Hibbert was gifted a camera and began to explore his interests in photography, developing a way of seeing that overlapped with his culinary expertise. Hibbert's work transformed lesser-known aspects of perishable, seasonal ingredients into unique gastronomical experiments for diners when he was a chef. This approach was a catalyst for shaping
unsuspecting materials of his choosing into a delightful and thought-provoking experience
for viewers as an artist.
Embracing the nuances of his self-taught photography and sculpture practice, the artist uses an expansive series of imagery to convey themes of social, cultural, and spiritual
ephemerality, as well as terra firma phenomena that reimagine the connections between
humanity and nature. His hyper-sharpening method employs various toned black acrylic
embellishments to give detail to a two-dimensional surface, slightly raising elements of the
image to further engage the senses, as seen in “London Plane Tree Study.”
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Hopeton St. Clair Hibbert, Jr.'s work articulates the abstract connections between humanity
and nature through the frenetic cycles of the human experience. Anchored by his curiosities
within space, form, and time, Hibbert's work seeks to negotiate sensory discovery through haptic
illusions by drawing our attention to the world's often unseen beauty by linking the physical and
metaphysical. Influenced by photographer Gordon Parks and Spanish sculptor Julio González,
working across media, the artist's reverence for history, nature, gastronomy, and dynamism
culminate in various works on paper, wood, and freestanding mixed-media sculptures.
The artist continues his contemplative journey into the human experience through sculpture
series like "Ode to John Henry." The long-standing collection references the Black American folk
tale of the steel-driving man whose persistence and determination ultimately cost him his life,
serving as a cautionary tale of man vs. machine. "Ode" features found materials of wrought wood
and iron found along the railroads of South Atlanta as an acknowledgment of the city’s industrial
roots amidst its rapid gentrification and widening income gap. Several of the pieces address
various layers of this concept. "Don't Forget We've Been to War"—an abstraction of a soldier who
salutes with arms of decaying wood and whose torso is made of rusted iron chains— reflects
how Black soldiers are constantly sought after and later discarded. Meanwhile, "X" is a tribute
to the life and enduring legacy of Malcolm X. Particularly in a time where the value of human
contribution is contested and exchanged for artificial intelligence, the works encompassed in
"Ode to John Henry" find contemporary meaning for all who experience them.
Taken together, Hopeton St. Clair Hibbert, Jr.'s broad catalog of work breathes life into
previously neglected material and embodies an abstract approach to contemporary issues.
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Nicole
James
Website:
www.nicolejames.nyc
Instagram:
nicolejames.nyc
Nicole James (b. 1987) is an artist born in Los Angeles and currently
based in Brooklyn. She is renowned for her chaotic still life paintings,
which often center around the depiction of fleeting moments. Through
her artistic practice, Nicole delves into the subversive power of beauty
found within liminality and disorder.
Her artwork has been exhibited at notable venues such as O’Flaherty’s
and IRL in New York, receiving recognition and praise from the art
community. Additionally, her pieces have found their place in several
private collections, further solidifying her impact and influence as an
artist.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
Nicole James is an artist born in Los Angeles and currently based in
Brooklyn, known for her captivating chaotic still life paintings.
Rejecting the notion that chaos and beauty are opposing forces,
James's art aims to merge them, presenting the idea that raw and
unfiltered beauty found within disorder is exhilarating precisely
because of its fleeting and unpredictable nature. Drawing from her
storytelling skills honed during her career as an advertising creative
director and influenced by being part of a generation that openly
shares the ultra-personal online, Nicole weaves intricate visual
narratives that feel both unexpected and relatable.
Through her large and vibrant acrylic paintings, she incorporates
elements from modern photography, pop culture, and self-documentation, creating wholly unique compositions. Her artworks invite the
viewer to discover the beauty amidst the madness of everyday life,
offering a fresh perspective on the seemingly mundane.
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Amber Janay
Cooper
Instagram:
@ambers_innerworld
Amber Janay Cooper is an emerging DC-based collage artist who draws
inspiration from the visions spun by her imagination to fuel her work.
Originally from Georgia, Amber also resided in the Shenandoah Valley for
several years. She embarked on her collage journey in 2022.
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As a collage artist, Amber's primary goal is to capture scenes of ultimate
freedom visually. Her work is profoundly influenced by her visions of God,
heaven, and creation, as well as her perception of seasons as supreme
beings, seeking inner peace for all Black people, and envisioning lush
gardens for Black babies. In her artistic journey, she finds inspiration in the
concepts of beauty, romance, sensory experiences, mood swings, and rebellion.
Through her collage practice, Amber exercises her imagination, leading
her to a deeper understanding of herself and a clearer worldview. It becomes a medium through which she practices vulnerability and advocates
for the power of imagination as a liberatory concept for all, fostering a
sense of community, equity, and love.
Amber's art aims to ignite exploration, encouraging people to discover new
ways of being and relating to one another, fostering a collective journey
towards freedom and a celebration of individual identities.
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Charles
Mason III
Website:
www.cmason3.com
Charles Mason III (Baltimore, MD) received his AA in General Studies from the Community College of Baltimore County in 2010, BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2014, and his Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art
from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2019.
He has curated several shows in Baltimore and Philadelphia, as well as had solo
shows which include Screaming in Silence, My Salvation is Love (The End), at Anna
Zorina Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2022, Goya Contemporary Gallery, Baltimore, MD,
2021, and Spillway Collective, Philadelphia, PA, 2019.
Charles Mason III has also participated in group exhibitions, such as A The Culture:
Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, co-organized by the Baltimore
Museum of Art (BMA) and Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM)] A Gathering, HOUSING
Gallery, New York, NY, Radical Reading Room, The Studio Museum in Harlem, Harlem, NY, Breaching the Margins, Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids, MI, CARPE DIEM, UTA Art Space, and Surface is only a Material Vehicle for Spirit,
Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago, IL, to name a few.
His works are part of the permanent collections of prestigious institutions such as
the Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, the James E. Lewis Museum of Art,
Baltimore, MD, the Whitney Museum of American Art Special Collections, and the
Hammer Museum Grunwald Center Collection. In addition, he is a recipient of the
Maurice Freed Memorial Prize.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
Conditional love and endurance: What is required for someone's life to be
considered valuable? What does it take for someone to care for you, or for
you to care for someone, and how do we endure this? These questions have
been on my mind for the past three years since I returned to Baltimore
from graduate school and began pondering the relationship I have with
my father. I yearn to understand him better and cultivate a new connection
based on who we are now and how we express love for one another.
Reflecting on our relationship became a catalyst for the direction of my
artistic practice over the last few years. It has centered on themes of labor,
love, grief, poetics, and material, all stemming from this exploration of our
connection.
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Adana
Tillman
Website:
www.adanatillman.com
Adana Tillman's path to an artistic practice started at an early age. Born and raised in Akron,
Ohio, now living and practicing in Atlanta, Georgia. Sewing with her mother is where Adana
was first introduced to the needle and thread. Working on quilts and small sewing projects, and
taking Saturday classes, is where she built her foundation for textiles. Attending visual artsfocused schools until high school graduation, Adana learned the fundamentals of sketching,
composition, and other techniques. In reflection, at any opportunity in schooling for freeform
projects, Adana would incorporate textiles/sewing whenever given the chance. In secondary
education, the visual arts path was left behind, and a focus on business administration was
followed. Adana is self-taught in the textile/fiber arts. She builds her knowledge with books and
sporadically takes classes to further her knowledge. In the years after leaving the University,
Adana realized that the visual arts were where she was happiest. Beginning to draw and sew
small projects on the weekend and after work served as a therapeutic tool for the artist.
After sharing a few finished works online and gathering encouragement to share her works
with the public, she was creating small works of character portraits. The first time showing
her work in adulthood was at a church art and book fair. Unbeknownst to the artist, this was
only the beginning. At the suggestion of a co-worker, she applied for a yearlong fellowship with
TILA Studios, an artist collective for female artists in Atlanta, Georgia. The second attempt at
applying, Adana Tillman was accepted into the program. During this fellowship, her practice
really grew. From workshops on crafting an artist statement/bio and building a cohesive body of
work, this culminated in traveling to Miami to present during Art Basel in 2019. This show was
used to explore creating larger pieces, incorporating surface design and relief printing. During
the pandemic, she partnered with The Akron Art Museum to develop a public arts project to
produce an augmented reality poster. Adana was awarded a grant from Sprite/Give Back to
help complete two artworks to be displayed in a pop-up group show during 2020. Most recently,
Tillman completed a solo show in Atlanta, Georgia, at Mint Gallery in Summer 2022, and a
"Resting Our Eyes" group show at ICA SF, on view until June 2023 in San Francisco.
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As a textile artist, Adana Tillman explores the journey
of identity through her figurative portraits. Within the
African Diaspora, grace is not always given by others to
explore fashion, hair, without being judged. In her works,
the figures are living loud and unapologetic. Mixing bold
patterns, colors in fashion, and various hairstyles show
each figure on the lifelong journey of self-discovery. Each
piece incorporates found textiles acquired through the
artist's travels. Her mother has developed an extensive
library of fabrics over the years and sometimes sources
materials. The artist's hand-dyeing of textiles has become
a large part of the practice. When creating, Adana
usually starts with rough gesture drawings, playing
with movement and composition. Then comes pattern
drafting. Next is working on scaling and placement of the
figures or position of portraits. The next phase is most
exciting – mixing and exploring fabrics until a cohesive
palette is obtained. Using a combination of hand-sewn
techniques such as embroidery and beading, each piece
is constructed like a quilt, taking the traditional art and
giving it a contemporary presentation for today's viewers.
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S. Erin
Batiste
Website:
www.sbatistewrites.com
S. Erin Batiste is an interdisciplinary poet and artist based in Brooklyn,
New York. She is a 2023 The Poetry Project Emerge-Surface-Be Fellow
and has received generous support from Cave Canem, PEN America,
and PERIPLUS among other honors. Author of the chapbook, Glory to
All Fleeting Things, her poetry has been published and anthologized
internationally in wildness, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Meridians,
and her artwork has exhibited in New York. Batiste’s writing and
collage center Black women, her ancestors, and matrilineage, and
are influenced by Afrofuturism, maximalism, beauty, the desert, the
cosmos, and other expansive places, migration, tarot, and divination,
archives, ephemera, and moments left behind. She is currently
working on her first full-length collection, Hoard.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
I do Black women’s work. My work centers the lives and experiences of Black women, ancestors, myself
and my own matrilineage. My work examines freedom, the complexity of memory, what we consider
history, and the ways we all inherit and collect possessions and stories. Nearly everything challenges
my existence as a Black woman living at the end of the world and the American Experiment, and so my
work intentionally and intensely concentrates on these selfhoods.
I am an interdisciplinary poet and much of my work relies on history and archives as a primary source.
I want readers and viewers to take away a sense of beauty and history, however, I want their notion of
what is beautiful and what is history to be challenged. I want viewers coming to the work with their own
various information (i.e. race, gender, age, class, geography) to leave feeling like whatever ideas they
initially carried have been complicated. I want viewers to consider their own privileges and think about
the daily ways in which we are all complicit in white supremacy, capitalism and the systems devouring
and destroying us, as a human race. I want to present and represent the real and whole America–its
past, present, and possible futures: free, feminist, radical, abolitionist, anarchist, extraterrestrial, other.
These collages/visual poems were created recently from December 2022 to present day following my
participation in the Kolaj Institute New Orleans Collage Artist Lab where we worked under the theme
of "City as Archive" incorporating archives from the New Orleans Public Library along with our own
materials. In my personal search in the library archives, I was stunned by the absence of Blackness in
this historically very Black city, whose existence was built by, depended on and dependent on Black
people, and also where my father's Creole family originated and eventually migrated from.
Sadly, the majority of the Black photographs found were in the carceral state–mugshots and "Bertillon
Cards," however, I was able to locate some fleeting moments of Black people in comfort, giving and
receiving care, in quiet rebellion to the larger archive. I archived 118 Black and mixed-race Black women
with the deep consideration that during the time their mugshots were captured, photography was still
early tech, so these were likely the only photographs ever taken of these Black women in their lives.
These works, all sourced from library archival photographs taken in the early to mid-20th century, have
become part of a new, ongoing series "Major Arcana," where I am using the archives along with images
from the Hubble Telescope and space, and other protective symbology to help transport the persons
pictured into other possible universes and dimensions where they might receive care, dignity and
softness, beyond what they may have imagined in their lifetimes and in this world.
Let these works serve as archive, testimonial, reimagination, and witness.
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Sonia
Redfern
Website:
www.soniaredfern.com
Sonia Redfern is a New York City-based painter exploring landscapes with astronomical
elements painted on reclaimed fabrics. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Redfern moved to
Arizona to pursue an undergraduate degree in astrophysics, though her concentration
eventually pivoted to visual arts. While she remained enamored with astronomy and
considered a career in the field, she found a deeper sense of fulfillment in her visual arts
practice. Redfern continues to bring her curiosity about the world from science into her
artwork.
Upon graduating with a BA in Studio Art from the University of Arizona in 2007, Redfern
relocated to South Korea and later to Australia. During this time, Redfern had her first solo
exhibition featuring a collection of paintings inspired by her experience living abroad. Her
years away from home influenced her visual vocabulary and helped to inspire the fabric
works that she creates today.
After receiving an MA in Art Education from Brooklyn College in 2020, Redfern rededicated
herself to her studio practice. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, including
in Washington DC, Illinois, and South Korea. Her work is in numerous private collections
throughout the United States, including New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC, as
well as in South Korea and Israel.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings invite the viewer into the humbling and transcendental experience of being fully
immersed in a context larger than oneself, whether cultural, environmental, or universal. To
do this, I create landscapes, sometimes with astronomical elements, over the patterns and
textures of reclaimed fabrics.
The fabric for these paintings was first passed on to me by my mother, a lifelong sewer. She
grew up in post-WWII Europe, where everything was recycled, reused, or repurposed, and
nothing went to waste. That mindset was passed down. Rather than paint over the entirety of
the fabric to hide the colors or patterns, I let the fabric stand in for a piece of the painting and
help tell the story. The fabric has a story as well and often reminds me of a certain place or
mood that I match with the painted subject matter of a place or experience I’d like to retell.
Each pattern or texture has a kind of visual vibration, like the background radiation that
permeates the universe itself. We don’t think about it often, but it is always there. The pattern
is simultaneously busy, keeping the viewer’s attention, and easy to ignore because the eye
intuits that it is all the same. It is also intended to impose a surreal quality, which is often how
a memory of a place or experience feels. In my paintings, I seek to recreate moments of awe
and tranquility with the hope of sharing a sense of wonder with others.
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Abiola
Adejare
Abiola Adejare, born 33 years ago in Lagos, Nigeria, comes from a
creative lineage. Both of his parents—a painter and a nurse—instilled
in him a lifelong affinity for art. During his formative years, Abiola
nurtured various aspirations, including becoming an astronaut or a
jet fighter pilot, all driven by a shared desire for heroism. However,
he eventually discovered that the true essence of heroism lies in
influencing and positively impacting people's minds. This realization
led him to embrace art as his chosen medium.
Growing up immersed in the captivating realm of television, Abiola's
exposure to science fiction and the iconic figure of Michael Jackson
profoundly influenced his perception of contemporary alternative
realities. These encounters inspired him to envision a world intricately
woven with abstract concepts that seem distant yet remain relatable.
Abiola pursued an education in the arts at Yaba College of Technology,
where he further honed his skills. His choice of materials—acrylics,
cardboard, plywood, and large canvas—mirrors the fast-paced
nature of our society, capturing the collective yearning for instant
gratification.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
My artistic approach revolves around capturing the very essence of a subject with a single
glance, ensuring that what remains in your memory is its defining characteristic. Drawing
from my background as a Graphic Design major at Yabatech, Nigeria's esteemed art school, I
find inspiration in the vibrant world of advertising. In a world where brand posters are given
mere seconds of a viewer's attention, the key lies in leveraging their existing knowledge and
experiences. Through my paintings, I strive to recreate the viewer's perspective—what they
remember seeing and what they can deduce with minimal information. This approach evokes
a sense of familiarity and intrigue, inviting contemplation.
My ultimate goal is to be an influential artist who challenges societal norms and raises
thought-provoking questions that disrupt the power dynamics governing humanity. While
this may seem like an ambitious undertaking, I recognize that it starts with dedicated
practice and honing my craft.
In my upcoming paintings, I aspire to delve into themes that explore the intricacies of human
emotions and the complexities of relationships. By employing a minimalist style, I aim to
distill these concepts into powerful visual representations that provoke introspection and
dialogue. Through my art, I seek to initiate a shift in perspectives and contribute to a more
balanced and empathetic world.
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James Robert
Morrison
Website:
www.jamesrobertmorrison.com
After graduating in 2002 with an MA Fine Art from Central Saint
Martins, James worked in the gallery and museum sector before
returning to regular art practice 17 years later. Since then, he has been
shortlisted for the Bridget Riley Fellowship (2023-24) and the Derwent
Art Prize (2022). He was selected for the RA Summer Exhibition (2021),
won the Mervyn Metcalf Purchase Prize at the ING Discerning Eye
Exhibition (2021), and was awarded a special commendation at the
Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize (2020). His work is held in the UK
Government Art Collection and private collections in the UK, USA, and
China.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
James' work reflects on the experience of discovering his sexuality and his journey to
understanding, accepting, and valuing it. Since returning to his practice in 2019, his focus
has been on a new body of work with two key threads: personal experience as subject matter
and the referencing and reappropriation of a personal archive of gay porn secretly collected
during his teenage years when he felt pressured into hiding his true sexuality. James recalls,
"At that time, these magazines were the only place I could see representations of intimacy
between men. This was pre-internet and when anti-gay sentiment was at its peak in the UK,
following the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the introduction of the notoriously homophobic
legislation - Section 28 of the Local Government Act. There was virtually no queer
representation or visibility, and if you did happen to find some, it was certainly not positive."
From drawings on cigarette papers to paintings and collages embellished with embroidery,
James approaches his use of media in a playful way with complete openness, while
consistently maintaining quality and cohesion. The intimate subject matter, combined with
personal archival material, allows him to present work that has a touching and nostalgic
narrative, normalizes non-heteronormative identities, and, importantly, starts to fill the void
of positive queer representation and visibility that he, and so many other members of the
queer community, did not experience during their formative years.
"'There is never more than a fag paper between them' Series"
The artist overheard a teenager describing a gay couple as "never having more than a fag
paper between them." Inspired by this and the play on words (in the UK, 'fag' is a colloquial
term for a cigarette before being a homophobic slur), James has created a series of drawings
portraying couples from his personal archive of gay porn magazines on the unique and
challenging medium: fag (cigarette) papers.
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Jordan A.
Porter-Woodruff
Website: www.japwoodru.com
Instagram: @japwoodru
Jordan A. Porter-Woodruff, 32, was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. She
currently serves as the staff photographer and digital multimedia specialist at the
University of Chicago Medicine. Her journey began as a marketing communications
specialist, crafting consumer-friendly medical articles, before transitioning to
photography in mid-2019.
This pivotal moment sparked the creation of her inaugural photo series and blog,
"The Artists Feature" (TAF). TAF compiles artist profiles accompanied by photographs
capturing them in vulnerable or meaningful spaces. These profiles encompass a
spectrum from renowned figures like Bisa Butler and Nick Cave to local Chicago
artists such as Kayla Mahaffey and Delisha McKinney. These photos paved the way for
Jordan’s debut solo exhibition, "Portraits: An Intimate View," hosted at the Epiphany
Center for the Arts.
Porter-Woodruff's current focus remains on portraits, albeit from a fresh perspective.
Her latest series, "Portraits: Working Hands," illuminates the daily utility of our hands
and the considerable strain they endure. Arguably the most crucial assets to our
physicality in the context of human creation and evolution, hands take center stage.
In this new series, Porter-Woodruff captures the hands of individuals across diverse
professions, including hairstylists, chefs, and musicians. She envisions this project
as an ongoing endeavor, teeming with boundless possibilities. The most captivating
revelation she has encountered is that while the underlying premise of each
photograph remains consistent, the outcomes continually diverge.
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Ariel
Dannielle
Website: www.byaridannielle.com
Ariel Dannielle is an African American painter born and raised in
Atlanta, GA. She graduated from the University of West Georgia, where
she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Drawing directly from her life,
Ariel creates large-scale paintings depicting the daily experiences of
young Black women. She believes in the importance of her artwork
in providing new lenses through which Black womanhood can be
represented, understood, and related to. Influenced by the work of
Kerry James Marshall and Alice Neel, Ariel strongly believes in the
power of portraiture. She focuses on developing personal narratives
within her portraits, challenging gender and racial stereotypes. By
inserting herself into her paintings, she invites viewers to participate
in a process of introspection. Ariel’s work has been showcased at the
California African American Museum, Monique Meloche Gallery, Soco
Gallery, Mint ATL, The Goat Farm, ZuCot Gallery, Dalton Gallery, Trio
Contemporary Art Gallery, and Perez Museum Miami. She was a MOCA
GA Working Artist Fellow of 2019-20 and was a semi-finalist in the
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series 2018, an Artadia 2018 finalist, and has
been featured in The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Studio Museum
Magazine, The Atlanta Magazine, Sorjo Magazine, mentioned in The
New York Times, was featured on the cover of the CAAM summer
catalog 2019, and showcased her first mural in 2022 with Living Walls x
Adult Swim in Atlanta, Georgia.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
Representation matters to me. It informs the work I create. I paint
with the hope that my viewers not only feel empowered and inspired,
but also seen and understood. My work is a visual journal. Each
painting is a record of my personal experiences, observations, and
feelings. This acrylic archive has enabled me to explore aspects of
human frailty and vulnerability, racial and ethnic identity, gender,
sexuality, and feminism. I aim to portray my experiences in a way
of thriving, not just surviving. Although acknowledging the history
of my culture is important, I do not want to be defined by trauma;
our joy should be highlighted too. I believe there is still ample room
for further exploration of black figures in art when it comes to
representation. It is my hope that my depiction of simple everyday
experiences provides new understandings of Black womanhood and
fosters new connections.
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Mary Catherine
Lowery
Website:
marycatherinelowery.com
Instagram:
@marycatherinelowery
Mary Catherine Lowery, an Atlanta-based artist, intertwines the realms
of traditional landscapes and contemporary abstractions. Her unique
use of dye and bleach create emotionally compelling pieces that aim
to transport you to the depths of your mind and the recesses of your
memories. Lowery's work possesses an ethereal, dreamlike quality,
achieved through an almost absentminded approach to painting. She
embraces the vastness of memory and the gentle pull of nostalgia.
At the core of Lowery's artistic journey lies the dynamic interplay
between light and dark, a fundamental duality that infuses her
compositions with depth and movement. This interplay is elevated
through the introduction of bleach on canvas, adding an evocative
sense of energy. Her work fosters an intimate internal dialogue—a
translation of the unspoken emotions that reside between what is felt
and what is known.
Mary Catherine earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Textile Design and
Fiber Arts from the University of Georgia, providing her with a strong
foundation that has influenced her use of unconventional materials,
resulting in work that is both engaging and thought-provoking.
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Lillian
Aguinaga
Website:
www.lillianaguinaga.com
Instagram
@lillianaguinaga
Lillian Aguinaga is a Peruvian - American figurative painter based
in New Orleans, LA. Her striking work places focus on fear of the
unknown, the pursuit of belonging and individuality, as well as
perseverance in the face of great uncertainty. Through self-reflection
and observation of others, she examines the transcendence of the self
when we overcome our fears, embrace the unknown, and persevere.
Her own experiences with hardships as well as the tenacity of the
strong, powerful women in her life have an immense impact on
the concept of Lillian’s work. Lillian’s use of intense color schemes
and prominent shadows captures her subjects in fleeting, intimate
moments. Her command of light and shadow evokes a sense of
solitude in chaos and leaves her audience with a sense of mystery and
possibility.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I think that's bullshit. Our
light can be dimmed and concealed by so much. Fortunately, it doesn't
mean it can't be bright again.
My recent series, 'Hidden in Plain Sight,' has become an integral part of
my healing process. The work places focus on the human experience and
our response to everyday burdens, with an emphasis on mortality and
grief. Through my own experiences and observation of others, I examine
the feelings and thoughts that take place as we cope with stress, grief, and
death. These can be the end of a relationship, a missed opportunity, stressor
stacking, and especially the revocation of rights.
Grief can feel so oppressive it’s as if one can’t breathe. Oftentimes it causes
apathy, and sometimes it feels like acceptance. It is isolating. It is absolute
loneliness.
The subjects are composed of intense color schemes and prominent
shadows in an intimate setting. This captures their spirit and evokes a sense
of solitude even while they endure chaotic thoughts. While we think we’re
camouflaged in our own metaphorical shadows, sometimes we get stuck in
them, but in the end, shadows aren't permanent. They expire just like life
does. Time is fleeting, and we must move on.
In our shadows filled with grief and stress, our light is shrouded in darkness.
Although it might not burn as brilliantly as it used to, our light still exists. It's
just hidden in plain sight.
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Siran
Liu
Website:
www.siranliu.com
Siran Liu (b. 1989, Beijing, CN) is a visual artist working in the Bronx and upstate
New York. His practice spans drawing, printmaking, and sculpture. Siran was
originally trained as an electrical engineer in China. He then moved to the United
States to pursue a Master's degree in digital visualization. This propelled him
into the entertainment industry, working at leading animation studios such as
Laika and Blue Sky. In recent years, Siran has shifted his focus to fine art and
completed a post-baccalaureate program in studio art at Brandeis University
in 2023. Informed by his bicultural and multidisciplinary background, his
works pull and mix divergent influences, including Chinese antiquities; western
modern color theory; and digital means in image production. Working in a
lineage of landscape painting tradition from China, Siran uses quasi-forms that
sit in between landscape and abstraction to contextualize the experience of
living through complex cultural sensibilities that deal with the duality/hybridity
between east and west, analog and digital, antiquity and novelty.
In our shadows filled with grief and stress, our light is shrouded in darkness.
Although it might not burn as brilliantly as it used to, our light still exists. It's just
hidden in plain sight.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
My current works engage the visual language of abstraction and quasiform as a way of exploring the hybrid aesthetics and cultural sensibility
informed by my bicultural and multidisciplinary background. I grew up
in China and was trained as an electrical engineer before moving to the
United States in pursuit of a creative career. This initially led me to become
a digital artist in visual effects. My compositions, shapes, and marks are
informed by a mixed array of sources. This ranges from eastern traditions
and antiquities like ancient Chinese landscape painting, Chinese
textile design, and scholar rocks, to digital means in image production
like layering and procedural pattern generation using mathematical
noises. With mediums like soft and oil pastel, I push for an intense and
kaleidoscopic color scheme rooted in western modern color theory,
which uses the interaction of colors to construct space and relationships
that go beyond depicting observation. I’m interested in seeing these
heterogeneous sources merge and collapse. In my works, I take the
process of synthesizing these sources as a way of embedding meaning into
marks, shapes, and colors, to push them beyond merely a formal concern.
Through a prolonged process of mark-making, erasing, and layering, I end
up with quasi-landscape imagery that looks fragmented and dissonant.
As an immigrant, a queer person, and living through the ever-changing
contemporary experience, I often feel a sense of uncertainty and the
inability to secure a sense of belonging. This language that sits in the
liminal space allows me to go on a quest in defining, losing, and redefining
that feels liberating and spiritual, without the need of giving or arriving at
a closed-end answer that feels too easy and binary.
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Emanuela Iuliana
Sintamarian
Instagram:
@emasdas
Emanuela Iuliana Sintamarian is an artist originally from Romania, but currently she lives
and works in Oakland, CA.
Her work is informed by the relationship between her identity and her sense of displacement,
and the ways she has devised to reconcile those incongruous elements. She is interested
in perception, memory, and the mechanics of motion, their visual translation, and the
dichotomies intrinsic to them (transfer vs change, action vs reaction, and time linearity).
Sometimes, much of contemporary life is inherently wrapped in the poetry of melancholy,
loneliness, and absurdity. Ema wants her works not only to echo her impulses, desires, and
thoughts but also to speak and emphasize those attributes.
She explores the fluidity and tension generated by contradictions: organized chaos and
uncontrolled order, machine-like generated imagery, and imperfections, organized chaos and
logical absurdity. Ema also tends to adulterate the boundaries between representative and
abstract. She leverages marks, colors, shapes, and textures to construct an undefined world,
rather than mirror reality.
Ema's work has been shown in solo and group shows at Sunny Art Center, London, UK;
Museum of Contemporary Arts, Constanta, Romania; Museum of Art, Arad, Romania; Triton
Museum in Santa Clara, CA; Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, CA; the Delaware Center
for the Contemporary Arts, DE; Rosenfeld Gallery in Philadelphia; Niklas Belenius Gallery in
Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Contemporary Art, CA, and Angel Orensanz Foundation, New
York, NY.
Ema received her first MFA in printmaking from the University of Delaware, and her second
MFA in painting from San Jose State University. She is a Professor Associated at San Jose City
College.
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Mark
Engel
Website: www.markengelart.com
Mark Engel is known for his colorful and highly expressive paintings.
His work centers around the human figure and varies between
psychological portraiture and full figure environments that express
profound aspects of the human experience. His interest in the human
motif is rooted in early personal mystical experiences that had a
dynamic impact on his perception of life and understanding of self,
sparking his research into human transformation through ideas
related to analytical psychology, Taoism, alchemy, and mysticism.
"My paintings are an exploration of the emotional and psychological
landscape of the human experience and a celebration of the
transformative power of the human spirit—a testament to the
resilience and beauty of the self as it evolves and adapts to the world
around it. The figure is a powerful symbol of our shared humanity, and
a vehicle for exploring the ways in which we grow, change, and evolve
over time. I am fascinated by the interplay between the conscious and
unconscious mind, and how our thoughts, emotions, and experiences
shape our perception of reality."
Mark grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and received his MFA
from San Jose State University. His work has been shown in numerous
museums and galleries across the US and is in many public and
private collections.
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Louise
Rieger
Website:
www.louiserieger.com
Louise is an oil painter of people, places, and people in places.
After completing a BA in Illustration at KIAD Maidstone, she had a
successful career in television production. She has now returned to
painting full-time and works from her home studio in Kent, UK.
Her subject matter is suburban, unposed, and sometimes nostalgic.
The landscapes are inspired by places local to where she lives,
locations that are often overlooked or ignored.
The figurative work and portraits range from people she knows, photos
of strangers, and more recently family Polaroids from the 70s and 80s.
Louise's style is representational with 'snapshot' compositions. It is
her intent to elevate the ordinariness of 'clipped' moments in time,
question the broader story of the subject matter, and evoke a shared
feeling of familiarity.
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Marryam
Moma
Instagram
@marryammomaart
Tanzanian-Nigerian artist Marryam Moma is a virtuoso of the craft
blade, renowned for her ability to weave captivating visual tales that
draw inspiration from current events and her personal journey. Moma's
artistic prowess knows no bounds, as she ingeniously employs repurposed
archival paper, an eclectic mix of media, vibrant pigments, and gilded
embellishments to transcend traditional artistic confines, yielding
multidimensional analog collages.
Her oeuvre, partly autobiographical, delves deep into the intricacies of Black
identity, amplifying Black narratives and experiences, while also rejoicing
in Black Joy. Her art is an ode to individuality and self-love, challenging
ingrained stereotypes. Moma's artistic journey is deeply rooted in her
architectural education and her upbringing in a creatively nurturing family,
which fuel her expressions.
Her creations are a testament to the enchantment she finds within her
family and the broader Black community, reshaping contemporary
perceptions, especially those surrounding Black women. Her art navigates
the intersections of race, sexuality, and identity, with the overarching goal of
celebrating the human form and reshaping societal views on the Black body.
Moma's work has garnered recognition from corporate giants like
Microsoft and Starbucks, making appearances on popular TV shows and in
prestigious magazines. Her exhibitions, including those in Nigeria, serve as
a homecoming, rekindling the spirit of her inner child who once thrived in
Abuja.
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ARTIST STATEMENT
As a Tanzanian-Nigerian collage artist, I chose to escape the rigidity
of my formal architectural background in favor of building a creative
practice that highlights the experiences of people like me. I depict
Black life reframed and reimagined, captured experiences, and
highlight Black joy through a multidimensional use of cutouts, layered
paper, acrylic paints, gold leaf, and shiny mixed media. Contrasting
textures, luxurious materials, rich colors, and a careful selection
of apparently disparate elements come together in my art to spark
conversations about the multilayered experiences of Black bodies –
including my own – amid persistent societal divisions that stand in the
way of the harmony and inclusivity I believe in.
The collection of collages presented here envisions a future
characterized by Black Existentialism, wherein the resilience of Black
bodies converges harmoniously with the augmentation of cyborg
enhancements. Through analog collage, I explore active members
of my community, uplifting Black and Brown people. Motivated by
liberation from racism and disruptions as an African, I examine Black
existentialism, authenticity, freedom, and identity. This confronts
existential challenges from racial injustice, recognizing Black
humanity, and dismantling oppressive systems to make space for
inclusivity. I reimagine hybrid beings embodying intellect, strength,
sophistication, fearlessness, and vulnerability all at once. Witnessing
community fortification through their work inspires my artistic
expression and pushes creative boundaries.
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Lucy
Pike
Instagram:
@lucypikeart
Lucy Pike was born and raised in the southeastern United States.
Her organic, ink-stained canvases have been featured in various
exhibitions, including those by Visionary Art Collective, Juniper
Rag magazine, and Roaring Artist Gallery, where she was awarded
the Juror’s Choice Award. Her recent artist residencies include The
Verdancy Project, Stay Home Gallery, and JX Farms residencies, as
well as the “Shape: Art and Health Justice” residency from Vinegar
Contemporary.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My art is, at its core, an exploration of presence: the ceaseless journey
of inhabiting and being present with our full selves, whether that
is within the most fulfilling joy, heartbreaking loss, or any moment
in between. I delve into these ways of being with broad strokes and
pools of color. My paintings evoke emotionality through layers of
acrylic ink and organic forms, most often on raw canvas. These
materials create both depth and rawness that directly speak to
feminine personhood. I am a process-based painter and allow the
materials to influence the evolution of the work. I am constantly
seeking a greater interconnectedness between my own life and that
of the world around me, attempting to understand how living within
the present moment is an integral part of that journey.
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Allison
Hudson
Website:
www.allisonhudson.com
I’m a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Philadelphia. After
earning my B.A. from Vassar in Asian Studies, I studied painting and
sculpture at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and ceramic
sculpture in the MFA program at the University of Arizona. I went on to
pursue creative careers including a ten-year stint as an entrepreneur
and a nationally recognized cake designer. In 2020, I kick-started my
reemergence as a professional artist.
My practice is experimental and process-driven. I build, deconstruct,
and mend together – striving to create work that is at once ethereal and
visceral. Impermanence is an important concept for me and something
which plays a role in material choices. Fabric, clay, and wax will lose
shape and disintegrate over time, becoming something else entirely. But
in the present, we can endlessly manipulate them.
My current work focuses on the exploration of metamorphosis. I use
imagery that suggests elements of the human form including hair, skin,
and bones – or that which can be lost, sloughed off, become broken,
and then regenerate over time. The fundamental shape of an egg or pod
serves as the starting structure in many of my works. At the beginning of
the cycle, the pod is full and fertile. After transformation, it’s empty but
open – only a shell, husk, or cocoon remains.
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Jessica
Worrall
Website:
www.jessicaworrall.co.uK
I’ve been a theatre designer in the UK for over thirty years, working in
both mainstream and experimental theatre. Over the past two years, I
have also been creating a series of more personal works that take the
form of digital collages.
In my collage work, I juxtapose portraits of women from art with
images of modern-day couture as a way of questioning the external
forces that exist within both art and fashion, which shape and enforce
our understanding of the ideals around women’s status in society.
Throughout the history of Western art, the depiction of women and
thus ideals of femininity and the female body have continuously
shifted and changed. However, there is one constant: from 15th & 16thcentury portraiture to modern-day couture, the female imagery we
are surrounded by has mainly been created by men, perpetuating the
idea that success as a woman is measured in terms of how attractive
she is. Clothing has always been used to reinforce these ideals, but
paradoxically it can also challenge them, liberating our sense of self
and asserting our identity. The question I like to ask with my collage
work is: are we really wearing what we want, or what somebody else
wants?
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Michele
Pierson
Website:
www.michelepierson.com
Michele Pierson is a contemporary painter based in Philadelphia, PA, whose
work explores the enigmatic realms beyond physical reality, the puzzling
architecture of the mind, and the use of imagination as a tool of discovery.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Dreams are a means of travel—mirroring and connecting our subconscious
and conscious minds by communicating underlying truths to our present
purview.
My paintings depict surreal, metaphysical environments that are inspired by
the connection of dreams, memory, and reality.
Individually, each painting is an amalgamation of real and imagined
references. These include references to the natural elements of the Earth, the
world beyond outer space, and the other world in between.
My paintings heavily utilize: the color blue to recall the infrastructural
nature of blueprints; the depiction of mirrors and windows as, respectively,
reflective and perspective portals to dreamy otherworlds; the depiction of
iridescent light as fleeting moments of surrealism in daily life; and distorted
grids as a reference to spatial dimension and the impact of existence on the
surrounding space.
Compositionally, my paintings rely on the juxtaposition of seemingly
random elements to speak to the unnerving aspect of wondering, imagining,
and brooding about the discovery of purpose, truth, and meaning within the
humbling context of the "open-endedness" of life.
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Tamar
Segev
Website:
www.tamarsegevart.com
ARTIST STATEMENT
Tamar Segev is a visual artist based in Boston, MA. She holds a BA
in Studio Art from Carleton College and an MFA in Painting from
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also received a
Graduate Certificate in Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies from
Illinois. Since completing her MFA, she has shown her work in four solo
exhibitions, including one at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Segev
is the recipient of the 2022 Naomi Anolic Early Career Jewish Artist Award
and recently attended a residency at GlogauAIR in Berlin, Germany. In
2024, she will be participating in a three-person exhibition at the Turchin
Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.
Segev creates abstract works on paper and canvas that explore how
memory is embedded within a city's built environment. Through multiple
interpretations of a single site, she creates records of observation, inquiry,
and response. She incorporates stitching as an intentionally slow and
arduous process, embodying the labor of remembering and conjuring
her long lineage of textile workers – including enslaved laborers during
WWII. Her creative research foregrounds the importance of memory
as a practice, where active remembering ensures memory's place in
the present. In her current body of work, she engages with the built
environment of Berlin, Germany through walks guided by memorials and
commemorative plaques.
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