Hana Johnson

Atlanta, Georgia

I spend a lot of time dreaming about a world where there is freedom for Black beauty to exist in any and all forms, in any and all decades, without restrictions or critique.

I have always been in love with the vintage world, but when I flip through old magazines that fueled beauty standards and not a single image of black women is presented, I know that there has always been a gap in capturing the image of black beauty in the past. For that reason, I dedicate my time as an artist towards illustrating Black beauty as I know it from the past and present.

Jillian Hooper

Hendersonville, NC

I am an artist from Hendersonville, NC. I find inspiration all around me in the people I see and meet. When I see someone who has a unique appearance or style, I try to capture the moment. My goal is to highlight the inner aspects of a person through my drawings.

Alexandra Antoine

Chicago, IL

Alexandra Antoine is an interdisciplinary visual artist and cultural apprentice based in Chicago, IL. Her work acknowledges the influences of her Haitian culture and interest in portraiture, food, farming and the physical labor that goes into traditional artistic practices of the Afrikan diaspora. She honors her ancestors always and is currently growing food in several community gardens on the West side of Chicago!

She received an undergraduate degree from a fancy art school and exhibited her work in many places but collaborating with folks throughout the Afrikan diaspora is her life’s work.

Arzell Thompson

Atlanta, GA

This dingy coffee pot is a vessel of my past, present, and future history. From my first painting that I sold to my elementary school Assistant Principal, a junior high painting that was displayed at the White House, to Germany, where, while enlisted, I became the first Black graphics illustrator in the Air Force, it was there. The paint and watermarks on this vessel are remnants of certified originals at Princeton University, with Former President Jimmy Carter, generations of art collectors, and more than 70 years of passion. My mom was, is, and forever will be my inspiration, sacrificing this coffee pot that has held my brushes since childhood. She gave me a key to what is my lifeblood. I don’t just make art. I dream about it, I breathe it, I can’t live without it! And now, I share it with you. May you enjoy my creations, discover your inspirations, and carry your “coffee pot” wherever you go.