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Jess Owens-Young

@truthofstrength

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The art of JOY.
Work available via @artehausstudios and @artmelanated

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If you knew God gotta Afro, you would move a little bit differently.

Rapsody’s new album “God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops” is hitting me at the right time. I’ve had nudges to revisit earlier themes of God and spirituality in my work and this album has given me much to work with.

This piece, “Of course God gotta Afro” is along the lines of one of my earliest painted paper collages, ‘Her eyes stay watching God.” In the work, the figure is looking upwards and has a yellow circle, like a halo, behind her. Here, the figure is looking downward, seemingly at the world she has created. Her halo is found in her gold hoops. The flower, which features hymnal paper, centers peace in the midst of a storm. I think we can all relate to that in some way right now.

A feel a shift coming in my work, and this is just a glimpse of where I am and what I’m thinking about now.

Painted paper, vintage magazine, and hymnal paper collage on 22x30” cotton watercolor paper.

And if you haven’t listened to this album yet, do yourself a favor and take time to truly listen. You will be moved. by @truthofstrength

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21 days ago

Y’all remember when @officialspikelee asked about my baseball pieces?

Now he has to go visit @cedtheentertainer to see one of them😆

Many thanks to @artmelanated for adding Cedric the Entertainer into my collector family! by @truthofstrength

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4 months ago

Have you heard of Oak Bluffs?

Oak Bluffs, a picturesque town on Martha’s Vineyard, has been a cherished summer haven for generations of the Black elite and middle class. Here’s a glimpse into its storied history:

In 1912, Charles Shearer opened the first Black-owned inn, the Shearer Cottage, catering to affluent Black families at a time of widespread discrimination. This paved the way for Oak Bluffs to become a summer mecca, attracting luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance like Dorothy West, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and artists like Paul Robeson, other folks like the Obamas and Oprah, and even some of my friends.

I made this piece imagining a golf club that was made just for folks at Oak Bluffs. This fella was prominent in my mind, although I imagine people of all genders tearing up the greens, reveling in the freedom they found there.

“Meet me at the Club”
Painted paper collage and wax pastel on 22x30” Arches watercolor paper.

I truly loved making this. by @truthofstrength

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2 years ago

I asked my wife when was the first time she remembers someone telling her to smile.

She said 8 years old.

This piece was to be the first in a series about people telling us to smile. But I think I got out what I needed to say about the policing of our smiles. At least for now.

Acrylic paint, oil stick, and oil pastel on 36x48” stretched canvas.

“smile!” by @truthofstrength

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a day ago

This piece hits me differently now that I’m raising a daughter.

Another piece from 2021 that’s been on my mind. This was originally about my inner child. Now it’s evolved and expanded to include my daughter, too. by @truthofstrength

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4 days ago

Really feeling this way of painting right now.

More small works are on the way.

Process shot of one of my faves from 2021. by @truthofstrength

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5 days ago

Finally chilly enough today to wear a vest.

One of my fave drawings from 2021. I’m ready to make more small work now. by @truthofstrength

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6 days ago

Is it sweater weather yet?

“The one in the turtleneck”
2021
Acrylic paint and oil pastel on 9x12 cotton watercolor paper. by @truthofstrength

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14 days ago

For my daughter.

She gave me ripped out book pages, I made something new.

I couldn’t even be upset about it. I think she sees me ripping and cutting magazine pages, so maybe she decided to help me out with some new material.

Currently untitled.

Book pages, paint market, oil pastel, and acrylic paint on 18x24” cotton watercolor paper. by @truthofstrength

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18 days ago

Please don’t tell us to smile.

Do you remember the first time someone told you to smile?

This is the beginning of a new series exploring emotions: what shapes them, who gets to express them, and how they are expressed. It’s also about my own relationships with emotional expression and the evolution that has happened over time.

There’s a lot to explore here. And I’ll be inviting you all to share your experiences. I can see a really dope exhibition coming out of this.

Work in progress. by @truthofstrength

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19 days ago

When you know your friends are waiting at the Clubhouse to cheer you on, especially after a not so pleasant round.

“See you at the Clubhouse” is the largest collage work in the Oak Bluffs Golf Club series. It’s also the last completed work from my 30s. And it’s among my favorites from that decade of my life.

25x40 inches. Painted paper collage and wax pastel on cotton watercolor paper. Available to collect. by @truthofstrength

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23 days ago

The start of my 4th decade in this realm.

And it will be a beautiful blooming.

Can’t wait to see how I continue to grow into myself, expand my roots, and spread light and color in this new era.

Thank you all for being a part of my garden. by @truthofstrength

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24 days ago