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“If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
Ms. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in 1968, and the first Black America to run for President. I created this print for the Women and Social Movements in the United States Since 1600 academic journal cover art. My artist statement for the piece is as follows:
This iconic image of Shirley Chisholm has been reimagined in color, situating Chisholm within a radiant, textured background. In dialogue with the artist Faith Ringgold, and Christian iconography, Chisholm’s golden halo acknowledges the scrutiny, labor, and resilience required of Black women who move through all types of spaces, including the political sphere. The uneven texture and shifting background reflects the nonlinear path of progress that is earned through persistence, a path that Chisholm has paved for those who follow in her footsteps.
For this portrait, I wanted to keep her face easily recognizable, yet still striking. I wanted a visual representation of the immense ripple she’s made. The light, the swirling warmth behind her, the movement, all emanating from her.
Coupled with the scholarship of Women and Social Movements–particularly the exhibit reviewed in this issue titled “So Help Us Shirley” with Ringgold’s work--this image illustrates how activism is collective, embodied, and historically layered. Framing Chisholm with warmth, her halo is one that continues to circle outward, imbricating people into its light focused on representation and transformation.
Available as an 8×10 print.
“If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
Ms. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in 1968, and the first Black America to run for President. I created this print for the Women and Social Movements in the United States Since 1600 academic journal cover art. My artist statement for the piece is as follows:
This iconic image of Shirley Chisholm has been reimagined in color, situating Chisholm within a radiant, textured background. In dialogue with the artist Faith Ringgold, and Christian iconography, Chisholm’s golden halo acknowledges the scrutiny, labor, and resilience required of Black women who move through all types of spaces, including the political sphere. The uneven texture and shifting background reflects the nonlinear path of progress that is earned through persistence, a path that Chisholm has paved for those who follow in her footsteps.
For this portrait, I wanted to keep her face easily recognizable, yet still striking. I wanted a visual representation of the immense ripple she’s made. The light, the swirling warmth behind her, the movement, all emanating from her.
Coupled with the scholarship of Women and Social Movements–particularly the exhibit reviewed in this issue titled “So Help Us Shirley” with Ringgold’s work--this image illustrates how activism is collective, embodied, and historically layered. Framing Chisholm with warmth, her halo is one that continues to circle outward, imbricating people into its light focused on representation and transformation.
Available as an 8×10 print.