At The Lighthouse | Black Girl Projects, we love art. We especially love art created by Black women and girls. Black art and artists are becoming more popular as institutions like museums, mega galleries and auction houses are extending an invitation to open previously closed doors (Hand, March 14, 2021). Like many opportunities that are being opened up with the recent uprisings and Black Lives Matter movement, this is one where Black artists might be wise to proceed cautiously. Is it true interest in the culture that Black artists are sharing in their work that is at the heart of this new interest? Or is it the mainstream art-world making up for its purposeful exclusion of Black art from the historical cannon? Does it matter? Navigating these new opportunities and open doors will require caution and a remembrance of how Black culture and art has previously been co-opted.
Because we here at TL|BGP believe in sharing the stories and lives of Black women and girls in their own words and through their own visions, we want to bring you the opportunity to explore Black women artists and their work both from long established artists and burgeoning new artists by highlighting a handful of these artists each month.
Black Women Artists to Follow, March
(“Black Eve” by Chez Christie)
Chez @chez_christie Christie Claremont is a folk-based and abstract artist. From Atlanta living in Haiti, her vibrant color and bold lines create striking subjects of women of color and strong-lined abstract themes of nature and social commentary. chezchristie.com
(“Anxious” by Trena Brannon)
Trena Brannon @trenabrannon is a mixed media artist from Southeast, Michigan. She uses rich color and contrast to capture joy in life and people’s faces. trenabrannonart.com
(“Don’t Save Her [She Don’t Wanna Be Saved]” by VersAnnette Blackman-Bosia)
VersAnnette Blackman-Bosia @soulrevivalhealingarts describes herself as a “Painter. Poet. Rebel. Visionary.” Verse paints abstract art with bold colorful strokes and lots of texture. mysoulrevival.com
(“Who’s Afraid of Aunt Jemima?” by Faith Ringgold)
Faith Ringgold. Painter, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, writer, teacher and lecturer. Ringgold’s large collection of art has a decidedly political slant, using muted and bright colors inspired by African art. Some of her most unique works are the Story Quilts she began creating in the 1980s. faithringgold.com
(“Pink Beauty” by Sheryee “Reese” Hayles)
Sheryee “Reese” Hayles @ree_beyond_blessed is an American artist whose art symbolizes black love, black excellence and black unity. She works in acrylic and mixed media to add a “3D effect” to her work. reesecreates.com
(“Changing Faces” by Letetia Farr)
Letetia Farr @lnycoleart is a young Black self-taught contemporary artist. Her newest collection “Changing Faces” is a journey inspired by women hood and femininity. lnycoleart.com