Amayia Giscombe

This year I was blessed with the opportunity to take a class called Black Artists in America. It was because of this class that I became educated on the extensive number of Black artists that have been excluded from art history. But despite this, artists like Charles Alston, Henry Ossawa Tanner, and Norman Lewis continued to make art in their pursuit to create space for Black artists in America. It is because of them that I was inspired to incorporate the theme of Black resilience within my art pieces.

Overall, being Black is a large part of my identity. And because of this, it’s important for me to reflect that within my art. I want non-Black viewers of my artwork to understand the Black experience through images of family, cultural customs, and the struggles that Black people face in America. This is necessary because despite being able to empathize with Black people, these viewers will never truly understand what being Black in America means. Thus, through my art I hope to educate and extend a hand to my peers so that they may take a glimpse into my world.