Danae Antoine

Dear America, I want you to know that this was awesome!! I met some really cool people, and a lot of people signed my work. This was created to actively engage people in the democratic process. Vote to make your voice heard!!! 

Through the use of aged and larger body types and unconventional self-imagery, my work brings to light an unspoken part of femininity. My art criticizes the American narrative of the black feminine experience and how this narrative has shaped my worldview. Through making art, I am rebuilding my identity, and giving myself a new narrative. I reference the lives and experiences of women around me who have marginalized voices in popular culture and the fleeting nature of youth.

Celebrating both the beautiful and challenging aspects of life is prevalent in my art. In “In Search of that Feeling” and “Anticipatory Grief,” my most recent work, I explore time, memories, and my personal grappling with mortality. My art serves to challenge and confront the viewer to reevaluate their lives and those around them. I often refer to Expressionist Francis Bacon’s figurative work, and photographer Laura Aguilar, who both explore raw emotion and vulnerability.

Through my art, I create a small window into my vision, which communicates the things I struggle to articulate. I prefer using traditional methods of drawing, painting, and printmaking to convey my message. Drawing and painting is my intended discipline because it affords me freedom to experiment and challenge myself. The process of creating itself can be visceral and emotive, not only capturing the image but the passion behind the piece.

Being a black girl who paints allows me to express my most inner passions and ruminations. In America’s current climate and culture, black girls are often misrepresented and misunderstood. My identity as a black girl deserves to be further discussed and explored through painting. I offer a narrative unique to myself that aids to create a diversity in the black feminine identity.

I intend to influence the world with my art by offering a different voice to the black community. As someone who struggles with mental illness and body image, topics not often discussed in the black community, I want others to see my work and relate. In my childhood, if I had seen an artist who created work I related to, I would have known that I could survive and thrive through my own struggles.