ARTISTS

Saudia Jones

jones830@newschool.edu

Untitled (2017)

Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 inches

Home (2018)

Acrylic and collage on canvas, 36 x 36 inches

Fast Lil’ Girl (2018)

Acrylic and collage on canvas, 24 x 36 inches

Brother (2018)

Acrylic and collage on canvas, 36 x 48 inches

Loose Like Bowels After Collard Greens (2018)

Acrylic and collage on canvas, 20 x 29 inches

Paper Bag Test (2018)

Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 23

Artist Statement

I am exploring what an economically/socially emancipated group of black nations would look like through a series of paintings. By creating an imagined society where African-Americans migrate to countries dominated by people of color, I am aligning my practice with the political theorists such as Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and bell hooks who taught  that social equity is linked to abandoning the political and social system that undermines and oppresses you. While I dedicate a significant time to studying mass migration, my main intentions are to highlight the importance of communal history and self-archiving. By using relatives and loved ones as subjects in my paintings and collages, my work becomes a testament to documentation as a means of survival and its perpetuation of communal success.

Accessibility is the primary goal with my work. I create for black viewers by incorporating symbols and images that resonate specifically with African-Americans. In contrast with my painting technique, I use collage as a medium to draw the viewer in by using pop culture references. Considering that U.S curriculum recalls black history from the perspective of those who oppress black people, African-American communities bear the responsibility of educating their own. In my work, I try to create domestic spaces and communities utilizing collage to tie the pop culture references with black historical references in order to keep the discussion of our predecessors in circulation and contextualize them with the current conditions we face.