“Don’t mind me” by Josiah Jamison
Courtesy of Diane Kollman
Josiah Jamison received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Columbus College of Art and Design and is a master’s candidate at The Ohio State University. Jamison makes paintings, drawings, furniture and installations that draw on Black erasure and psychology to provoke a deeper response, which forces the viewer to consider how fear shapes our lives in ways that are both personal and cultural. Jamison’s work has been exhibited at Streetlight Guild, Beeler Gallery, Acock Gallery, Franklin Park Conservatory, Sean Christopher Gallery and the Columbus Museum of Art. Jamison has also received awards from The Columbus Foundation, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, and the Pamela Workman Endowed Prize. Their curatorial experience includes Hopkins Hall Gallery, Beeler Gallery, The Shot Tower Gallery and the Columbus Museum of Art.
Artist Statement:
“Don’t mind me” is the first of a series of figurative paintings that breathe life into the struggles of navigating the world through the unforgiving lens of mental disorders. With each brushstroke, I explore the unpredictable, ever-winding paths that lie ahead, illuminated by a flickering light of hope.
Drawing on my personal experiences as a Black-Queer person, I dance with the complexities of contemporary culture and the elusive nature of Neo-Black identity. My art is a reflection of the invisible struggles that plague so many, shedding light on the relentless impact of oppressive structures on trans people of color and disabled bodies.
I use my paintings to craft a cautionary tale, one that warns of the destructive power of denying oneself the necessary steps towards healing. Delving into the muddy subtleties and gray areas of intersectional experiences, I invite the viewer to engage with the messy complexities of mental dysphoria and stereotypes that plague our minds daily.
My work is a meditation on the unbearable weight of staying, of existing in a world that is quick to demonize and verbally assault those who dare to be different. It is an invitation to explore the contours of mental health within the Black community and to challenge the mythologies and misconceptions that surround it.
Through my art, I seek to provoke introspection and conversation, to inspire a movement towards clarity in the densely packed gray areas of our lives.
“Last Century Last Week” by Ky Smiley
Courtesy of Diane Kollman
Ky Smiley is a Columbus native and photographer who explores his own relationship with masculinity, blackness and queerness through introspection of his family dynamics. His photos
question the storytelling that surrounds his identity. He is currently pursuing his bachelor of fine arts in photography from The Ohio State University. His work has been exhibited in the 2023 Pride Photo Award, traveling throughout the Netherlands and shown at the Columbus Museum of Art. His awards include Gold in the portrait category of the 78th College Photographer of The Year held by the Missouri School of Journalism.
Artist Statement:
This photo series is taking the place of a personal investigation into my own lived experience of girlhood. I have instead decided to create this serene and near-perfect depiction of the highlights enjoyed by many Black girls in their childhood. This includes hand games, double-Dutch, drawing, baby dolls and the eventual confrontation of no longer being seen in the light of rightful childish innocence. Once this innocence is gone within my admittedly fictitious world, a stark reality emerges. This world often leads to the neglect and lack of care exhibited to countless Black girls who grow into women in the same society that refuses to see them.
I pull much of my inspiration for visual choices from the words of songwriter, singer and poet Jamila Woods. Even the title is taken from her song “Blk Girl Soldier,” which celebrates the Black girls in our history who, despite having many forces against them, fight injustices that unfortunately persist to this day.
The full line “Look at what they did to my sisters, last century last week” intends to evoke the feeling that all the violence they’ve endured, then and now, is happening all at once and is evidence of it being a systematic issue as opposed to singular isolated events.
“Back To The Earth From Which I Came” by Sierra Hamilton
Courtesy of Diane Kollman
Sierra Hamilton is an art student and gallery curator whose work focuses on the impact of societal pressures, personal trauma and self-exploration as she navigates the world as a Black female artist. While experimenting with collage, mixed media and found objects, her work investigates the relationship between her mind and body, seeking ways to heal through creation.
Artist Statement:
“We are one with nature – we give birth, grow, bloom, bear fruit and die only to become manure for the trees that gave us air and sustained our life. We reciprocate in death.”
- Elvira Maria Mathews, We Are One with Nature (Landscape and Poetry)
Back To The Earth From Which I Came (2023) bears witness to an individual as they crumble under the weight of their struggle with mental illness. Although their chicken wire frame and thick cardboard skin evoke a false sense of solidity, the figure is sensitive to manipulation. Like cardboard when it is soaked in water and chicken wire as it’s cut and bent into shape, constant struggles can lead many to feel like they are losing themselves to their battle.
As the creator, I know that the figure is a physical representation of my mental health journey; the body is built to my proportions. However, a spectator will project their own idea of the figure’s representation. There’s shame in the perception of others on my fight to keep myself together. Despite the hardships, as the figure continues to “crumble,” hope will eventually bloom from the learned experiences, like the chia that will grow from the debris as the journey continues. Life continues.
Want a chance to see the gallery and these amazing artists up close and in person? Enter to win two free tickets to Truth, Be Told, an interactive creative workshop wielding the power of storytelling and portraiture to provoke us to remembrance on our contests page below!
Aaron Gilliam is the social media coordinator at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
