Exceptional Female Musicians
I paint the invisible visible, and few things are as invisible as essential as music. As a classically trained musician, I stand on the shoulders of the extraordinary women who came before me. History and art history have often sought to suppress their brilliance, and too frequently diminished Black women in both music and visual representation, rendering them servants, or exotic figures, a mere decoration in someone else’s story.
This ongoing series, Exceptional Female Musicians, reclaims that presence, illuminating their artistry, power, and humanity.
Mahalia, Rising Star
In a Pre-Raphaelite-inspired setting, she does not float for another’s gaze.
She refuses exoticisation, refuses appropriation of her presence.
Breath by breath, she rises from the depths.
Her song belongs to no one but herself.
Sol Gabetta
This portrait carries her understanding of the music she inhabits: not showy, but assured; not loud, but luminous. The instrument remains the axis, the voice.
The painting grows around it, guided by gestures, strokes, and that faint shimmer of recognition that connects viewer and musician.
Janine Jansen
The violinist who becomes the instrument, breathing music as one.
Music lives through her, each note carrying profound emotion.
An exceptional musician, she transforms sound into the universal language of love.
Ella Always Ella
Her voice carries the depth of the music itself.
Singing Summertime, the words flow effortlessly,
and the sun begins to shine, you can feel its warmth.
Nina Simone, Enchantment
Her voice rises from the depths, claiming space as a Black woman.
Singing for equality and human rights, she touches hearts.
Her smile reveals the enchantment of knowing the music has landed.