Abstractions
Jess with Blue and Leather
Oil and acrylic on canvas
24" x 18"
2019
Jess Guilbeaux is a beautiful, strong, black, lesbian woman. Growing up in a conservative part of Kansas, she'd been told she was "too black" or "not black enough", "too gay" or "not gay enough". After coming out, Jess’ adoptive parents disowned her, and she was forced to start living independently at the age of 16. Like so many LGBTQI+ people, Jess has built a support system through her chosen family.
Jess is exploring various permutations of androgyny in her self expression. We worked collaboratively throughout the painting process, landing on a composition that pushes the boundary between realism and abstraction to highlight the layers and complexity of her identity.