She is telling the story of the African American side of American life through the quilting of old family portraits.
"My subjects are African Americans from ordinary walks of life who who may have sat for a formal family portrait or may have been documented by a passing photographer." Bisa Butler via website below.
"I hope people view my work and feel the value and equality of all people. By presenting all of my figures with a richness and dignity they deserve whether they are from a humble background or the upper classes. All of my pieces are done in life scale to invite the viewer to engage in a dialogue— the figures all look the viewers directly in their eyes." Bisa Butler via website below.
Portraits of self with symbolism reflections experiences.
Identity in how surroundings change self-understanding.
"While Diego Rivera was busy eulogizing modern industry on the walls of the Detroit Institute of Arts, Frida was yearning for the ancient agrarian culture of Mexico." via website listed below.
Self Portrait Along the Boarder Line Between Mexico and the United States, 1932
Referencing the world of old master to enhance the portraits of people of color.
"Kehinde Wiley begins his anachronistic compositions by wandering casually through urban neighborhoods until someone’s distinct appearance and style catches his eye. He invites the person to his studio, where they page through art history books to select a classic portrait. The “model” recreates the pose, which Wiley photographs for reference. In such paintings as Officer of the Hussars, Wiley inserts young African Americans into a tradition that has previously excluded them."
Deals with questions of identity and belonging. She is not always “visually verified” as Latin American. This experience left her with complex feelings about her own identity.
"Growing up, people begin to deal with the idea of identity, not just who we are but how we place ourselves within groups beyond our families. For me, this placing became a cultural question. As my parents were from countries outside of the U.S, I was connected to multiple cultural groups. However having grown up here in America and not fitting the visual stereotypes of my heritage, I never felt like I truly belonged to any of those cultures.... Reflecting on my struggle to fit in amongst these different groups in my life caused me to question the way we construct personal history in service to our desire to belong." April D Felipe via website below.