art
In conversation with multidisciplinary artist B. Stewart
B. Stewart talks to Trutuyou about the origins of her love for art, exploring the black experience, and the impact community has on her life.
By Daija Green | Posted on September 20, 2022
Self-Portraits in Eastside South Central/Watts, CA
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ibrant canvases of deep blues and pink hues make up the masterpieces that are B. Stewart’s artwork. Born and raised in California, the multidisciplinary artist creates enlightening and emotive realms, exploring blackness in its profound essence. She describes her work as transcending, available and true, and aims to interpret the varying experiences of people of the African diaspora and ADOS culture.
ADOS, American Descendants of Slavery, is a term and movement that refers to the descendants of enslaved africans in the United States and demands reparations for the system of slavery. Artistically, the movement offers cultural enlightenment, empowerment and community through visual storytelling. B. creates with intentionality making each one of her creations a cultural heirloom, ensuring that black stories live on for generations. Earlier this year, Trutuyou spoke with B. about the origins of her love for art, exploring the black experince in its essence and the impact community has on her life.
ADOS, American Descendants of Slavery, is a term and movement that refers to the descendants of enslaved africans in the United States and demands reparations for the system of slavery. Artistically, the movement offers cultural enlightenment, empowerment and community through visual storytelling. B. creates with intentionality making each one of her creations a cultural heirloom, ensuring that black stories live on for generations. Earlier this year, Trutuyou spoke with B. about the origins of her love for art, exploring the black experince in its essence and the impact community has on her life.
Up-close image of recently released archival fine art print"I am a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a friend, a neighbor. All those things come first for me. It's really community that centers me. I'm literally the neighbor that drops something off at your house." Shares B. as we both introduce ourselves over the phone. She possesses a down-to-earth energy and a spirit that seems like she's been here before. It could be her ancestral spiritual practice or the fact that she's existed in multiple spaces; from wealth to poverty, the ghetto to corporate - her experiences manifest through the wisdom she carries throughout her journey.
B. shares that she began her career in corporate after attending a PWI for film, "While I was in school, I realized that it wasn't fulfilling me in the way that I needed education. It catered to eurocentric men, and as a black woman, it was very confusing to me." She ended her college journey, immersing herself in marketing and production, and taking on a social media position for Nordstrom. As much as she admits that she was addicted to the hustle, she also candidly discloses that this path was not what she wanted, "Around 2017/2018, I realized that I didn't want to build another white man's legacy."
B. shares that she began her career in corporate after attending a PWI for film, "While I was in school, I realized that it wasn't fulfilling me in the way that I needed education. It catered to eurocentric men, and as a black woman, it was very confusing to me." She ended her college journey, immersing herself in marketing and production, and taking on a social media position for Nordstrom. As much as she admits that she was addicted to the hustle, she also candidly discloses that this path was not what she wanted, "Around 2017/2018, I realized that I didn't want to build another white man's legacy."
Trutuyou: When did your artistic journey begin?
B. Stewart:
I have two siblings. My older sister and little brother are both artists as well. I'm the middle child, so in my mind, I always felt like I wasn't an artist. I felt like I was supposed to be the one that advocated for them. And then there was just a point in my life where I decided to pick up a paintbrush and realized, wow, I'm an artist too.Trutuyou: What drew you to art?
B. Stewart :
I knew that I had an eye and a vision. In 2016-2017, I was like, "I'm already using these skills for work; let me see what I can do for myself." I really got into researching art history and learning about art galleries. At that time, they didn't have a lot of representation of ADOS culture specifically. ADOS is the American Descendants Of Slavery period - it is people who are connected to American enslavement. We are so marginalized, and so much of our culture is taken from us and put into mainstream media to where everyone has a piece of it, and we don't really get to hold on to our heritage. It's getting better, and we are seeing changes, but in the past, when you walked into museums, you would see sections for European art, and Asian art, but there was rarely anything that showed blackness in its profound essence. So that's basically what drew me to be like, I need to see us in museums. I need to see us in galleries. We are starting to see more black-led galleries, and it's like a renaissance. We had the Harlem renaissance during the Jazz age, and now we are in the internet age. This is our renaissance. So now we see all this fine art from black people of the African diaspora, and I want to be a part of that.
B. in studio Los Angeles, California
Trutuyou: What stories and ideas does your art explore?
B. Stewart:
I focus on people of the African diaspora and how we experience life. I'm personally a spiritual person. I feel like I am guided intergenerationally by my ancestors. This molds a peace and softness in the discomfort because the way that America and the world exists, there seems to always be a threat. But if you can just tune into yourself and trust in your purpose even when you feel you don't know - that's what I'm really trying to explore—and just demystifying a lot about our experiences and what it means to be in the ghetto. I'm a fourth-generation resident of California. My family migrated here during the great migration, and I've existed in a lot of spaces. I've existed in extreme wealth, but I've also existed in extreme poverty. There's this idea of the ghetto being bad and not being wholesome. And it's sometimes used as a derogatory term, and it's like in reality, the ghetto/the hood - where our grandmas are - it informs culture, it informs the essence of America and beyond.
Trutuyou: What does your art do for you?
B. Stewart:
I think that as a child, for my siblings and I it was a form of escapism but as an adult it for sure is very intentional. While art can be healing for people, its information in the highest form. There’s not a history class that you've taken that primary sources weren’t images. I view art as critical in the sense of informing and evoking conversation. My goal is to be able to transcribe information from this time that I'm existing in. For it to be passed on through generations. Every piece that I build I’m very intentional on making sure that it is an heirloom. That it is something that will live beyond us. It’s information at the end of the day. So whatever it does for each individual I respect it but its always going to be information and symbolism. Trutuyou: Do you have a favorite piece that you've created?
B. Stewart:
My favorite piece is a very simple piece. It's from 2017 and it's titled "Nobody's Joker"Trutuyou: Why is this your favorite?
B. Stewart:
It's just the emotion in it. It's of a young man who looks like he is transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. It's a red background, he has on a t-shirt with blue trimming, and he has on gold jewelry - one is a piece of a firearm and the other is a piece of praying hands layered on top of each other. He has an orange balloon behind him and one seen tear. You can see the old age of his face - there are just so many emotions in his face; passion & relief. It's a very vibrant piece. It's like, what are you trying to say? If you look at him, it's like a soul is in there. My pieces are random characters; it's not like I sit and look at images of someone. My sister feels like it is a collection of all the people I've spent time with, a collection of memories put into one.Trutuyou: Throughout your journey, what has your art taught you about yourself?
B. Stewart:
It's taught me that I deserve rest. This is a wild answer, but it's really taught me that I deserve rest. I deserve to be completely incubated in my existence. It's taught me to stand up for what I believe in. And, if anything, to participate in creating heaven on earth. Trutuyou: You said you deserve to be completely incubated in your existence. Talk about what that means.
B. Stewart:
It just means being present and if I wander, let nature be a part of it versus going off in my mind completely and not being present with my body. I think they (spirit and body) are a great team; sometimes, we forget that. Literally, every single moment is a blessing. Even when things feel scary and daunting, there's always a way to rechannel energy if we make room for it.Trutuyou: What keeps you grounded?
B. Stewart:
The only thing that really keeps me grounded is my family and how much they love me. I have a really beautiful family. My family just doesn't go to immediate family - my fifth cousin is like my first cousin. Like we don't know the difference. That's how close we are. I can go to any of my family members' houses right now, just walk in, go to their refrigerator, and lay in their bed. That's what keeps me grounded without question. Trutuyou: I'm figuring out how to stay grounded myself, but I would definitely say prayer really keeps me grounded.
B. Stewart:
In Ruth E. Carter's documentary, she said that she realized art was her church. So when you mentioned prayer just now, I realized before I start any piece, I definitely have to talk to God and ask for permission.
Thank you B. Stewart!︎
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