January 28 – February 7, 2019
Gallery 720, Christensen Center
SENIOR SHOW
Elizabeth Ihekoronye
Bio
Elizabeth Ihekoronye is a visual artist living and working in Minnesota. She is currently completing her studio art degree at Augsburg University. She has explored many mediums of art, but has taken a fond interest in pastel painting, and graphic design. Her work reflects her desire to expand the black imagination through personal symbolism. Across both mediums Elizabeth is able to create rich scenes that explore intrapersonal understanding.
Artist Statement
Constructed using pastel “mediums”, each painting softly pieces together the heavenly black body as it moves through other worldly experiences. This movement causes the bodies personal symbol to develop beyond the popular narrative. Each scene is comprised from the themes of nourishment, redemption, rebellion and rebirth.
My initial inspiration for creating these pieces stems from my imagination as a child.
I often imagined scenarios that were rare to the idea of being black. I yearned to see a black body being adored by something as simple as fruit and vines. I questioned my imagination, often believing that I was not meant to be in such an amusing yet delightful situation. I would ask myself “how does this relate to being black” a deep brown hue constantly being dehumanized. My body does not always have to be dehumanized and I should not accept that vision but accept the vision of the black body being nourished and adorned by fruit and vines.
I produce this work to challenge the limitations of the back body and the black imagination in society. My work pushes the idea of the black body as an individual symbol that is developed internally and externally through worldly and other worldly experiences.