COMMUNITY PROFILE ‘BLACK BY POPULAR DEMAND’ Changing the Way We View Art BY GRACE THORBURN BORN AND RAISED IN DENVER, Alessia Redwine aspires to become a successful art curator and artist. As she wraps up her junior year at the University of Colorado Boulder, her main focus lies within the medium of painting, but she also enjoys exploring mixed media. “I started painting my freshman year of college, and stopped since,” Redwine I haven’t stated. “There is a misrepresentation of Black women in the art industry. When Black women are showcased, they are often shown as less than,” Redwine said. “As a 21-year-old, I feel like I’m still seeing a lot of lack of representation. So, I’d say representation plays a big part in my art, and just expressing myself unapologetically and not apologizing for taking up space and being who I am.” Reframing artistic history to be more inclusive was a driving force in Redwine’s first painting series titled “Black by Popular Demand.” Taking historical pieces like “The MAMA LISA (2022) This rendition of the Mona Lisa (1503) was inspired by both Leonardo da Vinci and Ebonee Davis. Davis is one of Redwine’s favorite models. “My hope is that Black women see this piece and know our hair can be formal and elegant, no matter the shape, size, or stature.” PHOTO COURTESY OF ALESSIA REDWINE 6 DENVER VOICE May 2023
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