Jiesha Stephens

My work is a trove of fragmented dried organic matter and mixed media acrylics. Each piece invokes a multisensory experience meant to call the viewer into a space of childlike euphoria. The segments of fruit, spices, flowers, and oils embody memories of my childhood as a black girl in the south, hav...

My work is a trove of fragmented dried organic matter and mixed media acrylics. Each piece invokes a multisensory experience meant to call the viewer into a space of childlike euphoria. The segments of fruit, spices, flowers, and oils embody memories of my childhood as a black girl in the south, having just enough to float along the margins of society. My art is a reminder to Silicon Valley gentrifiers, ecocritics, and environmental activists who forget BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) have always reused and repurposed material. Before thrifting, recycling, and composting became a trend, my community saved, pinched pennies, and reused what they had out of necessity. Finally, my work is an offering to my family, who was never allowed to pursue their dreams. Who were enslaved and labored in agricultural fields of tobacco, citrus, sugar cane, and cotton. Who collected cans, ate week-old pan con Leche, and planted islands in their back yards, all to survive. However, my art is not meant to signal poverty or a lack of resources but how I learned to create abundance with just enough.