Ancestors 2014

Historically, my artistic practice focused on the beauty of nature and humanity. Spending a great deal of time in the American South, I was inspired by my surroundings. Real-life experiences with my family and friends have created unlimited sources of inspiration. From a place of nostalgia and reverence for them, my work continues its narrative of Southern African American vernacular based on oral history, culture and memoir. Maintaining familial love and the serenity of the rural landscape as my muse, I seek to reframe her-story.

The desire for representation remains great in the African American community. Aiming to explore the intersections of gender, race, and culture within a broad spectrum of artistic vocabularies, I have chosen beloved iconic symbols as metaphor. Transitioning into an interdisciplinary contemporary practice has allowed me to expand my ideas into the future. Finding constructs that embody elements of spirituality, social justice and alternate realities, like a good pot of beans, begins with one thing, gets mixed with another, and ends up as something good, something wholesome and something true.

This work as an invitation remains, please join me.

Donna W. Radcliffe
MFA, MA Art History