I want impossible in my work

#CaptionedBlackArt | Thursdaysº

May 15, 2025

Captioned Black Art

Your Curated Art Museum

Get cultured in five minutes or less . . .

“The funny part of it was she was willing to trust them and their motives without questioning, but the instant they saw the color of her skin they knew what she must be.”
— Ann Petry, The Street

A Snippet:

Did you know that Ann Petry was the first African-American woman to sell over one million copies of her first novel, The Street, in 1946?

Learn more . . .

Ann Petry - The Street

Jafari Joseph

Mar 6

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79. “As I Am” (2020)

“The challenge is for those who see my work to look more carefully at the many adversities women and children of color face in society and see them depicted as women who choose to overcome those adversities by exuding self-acceptance and a feeling of empowerment.”

— Tiffani Glenn

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Did you know?

Did you know that Tiffani Glenn draws upon her own worldview as a woman, and her formal education in media arts and animation, to generate a body of work filled with Black women energy?

Glenn, a native of Tampa, Florida, earned her BFA from the Art Institute of Tampa.

“Before I start a piece, I try to have an idea of what I want to create but sometimes that doesn’t work and you get something totally different than you expected. So I can’t say I have any specific techniques, I mostly try to go with the flow when working,” says Glenn.

Some say this translates into a transcendent image—free from traditional norms and restrictions.

80. “Negroes Walk By Two Behind Bars”

“In the studio, I’m very much looking forward to making slower paintings. And what I mean by that is that I want more labor in my work. I want more hours on hours on hours. I want the impossible in my work.”

— Brittney Leeanne Williams

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Did you know?

Did you know that Chicago-based artist, Brittney Leeanne Williams (originally from Los Angeles) is a Joan Mitchell Foundation grant recipient and a Luminarts Fellow?

Brittney Leeanne Williams attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Her work has been exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, London, Venice, Italy (Venice Biennale), Antwerp, Copenhagen, and Hong Kong, as well as in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.

Williams’ residencies include Arts + Public Life (University of Chicago) and McColl Center for Art + Innovation.

81. “Running In The Dark” (2021)

“My art is a blend of the people, moments, and places that have shaped me.”

— Ayan Muse

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Did you know?

Did you know that artist Ayan Muse’s work is centered around the many facets of life as a Black woman and a first generation Somali?

As a self-taught artist, Ayan Muse explores themes of Black identity, beauty, and culture through oil paintings.

In the artist’s own words, “I pull inspiration from contemporary photos, stories, and memories. My art is a blend of the people, moments, and places that have shaped me.”

“Difficult takes a day. Impossible takes a week.” So what’s the problem?

(Breathe In . . . Breathe Out)