Rachel Cassandra Gibbons

Country where you live:

City where you live:

Statement : 

As a Floridian transplant, living in New York City has deeply impacted not only the way my work is made but also the way that I see myself. Throughout my life as a young black woman and artist, I have often been othered and made invisible within the spaces I frequent. I believe my work is a direct response to that. Through photography, color study and paint as a medium, and skin as a canvas, my practice seeks to make the invisible, visible. 

With personal narratives as the impetus for my art, I look to bring together shared histories between people in the Black community. Through our own unique stories, I trust that it's possible to grow a deeper and more meaningful understanding of each other as individuals and as a community.

Combating othering, leaning into the power of the individual, and shifting the lens to highlight underrepresented perspectives and experiences are crucial pillars of my artistic process. Turning the invisibility I've endured into a strength rather than a weakness grounds me in my work and reminds me that this art is not only for my healing but for others too.

Almost Primary: La Période Bleue, i
La Période Bleue embodies a quiet fury that was no longer sustainable. This image signifies the first awakening of my sense of self. My gaze in this image is particularly confrontational as the paint on my body attempts to render my figure invisible; my expression makes it harder to erase me.
Almost Primary: La Période Jaune, i
La Période Jaune illustrates the body as a performance and exists as a middle ground in between blue and red. At this moment, I am mentally preparing to embark on a journey that would alter my self-perception. This image exists as a last stand, my last chance to embrace my physical body as it was.
Almost Primary: La Période Rouge, iv
Almost Primary: La Période Bleue, ii
Almost Primary: La Période Rouge, iii
La Période Rouge stands for reclamation, reflection, and realization. At this moment, I decided to take back what was mine. My physical body, my emotional stability, and hold on to a sense of peace that I desperately needed.
Bio: 

Inspired by the words of her 7th-grade photography teacher, Rachel was told: "You have an eye for this". From that moment, Rachel's path to becoming a photographer was set. She attended A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in Florida where she studied Digital Media then moved to New York to pursue a B.F.A. in Photography and a minor in Communication Design at Parsons School of Design. Rachel continues to live and work in New York City as a fine art and portrait photographer, primarily focusing on capturing overlooked narratives, and recently founded Saturate Studio.

Canada
Stouffville
USA
Boulder
United States
New York
United Kingdom
Cheltenham
Canasa
Vancouver

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