Mary

Referencing Mary Magdalene, a figure widely misunderstood and often reduced to a narrative of sexual immorality, this piece draws a parallel to the ways Black women are similarly mischaracterized. Long before truth is considered, a label is assigned. Long before understanding, a story is decided.

This work does not seek to retell a biblical account. Instead, it questions the instinct to define, to reduce, and to project meaning onto someone without their consent. It holds tension between who a person is and who they are made to be in the eyes of others.

Within the Alicia in Wonderland series, Mary exists inside Garden Politics, a landscape shaped by identity, rejection, and the tension between perception and truth. Where some are labeled weeds, others are rewritten entirely.

Details:

Details:
24 x 36 x 1 in.
Acrylic on canvas