image: from “Can I Pass?” series by Firelei Báez
Dominican born, NYC-based artist Firelei Báez creates paintings and drawings that explore identity creation in the Caribbean diaspora – untangling the strains of race, history, myth and folklore that come together to create a conception of self.
Her pieces, mostly gouache (an opaque paint) on paper, often depict full-figured Rubens-esque women, whose bodies are adorned with texture that brings them to life – hair, leaves, fur, birds, patterned drapery, etc. In her series “Prescribed Seduction,” Báez reworks passages from books, inserting silhouetted figures throughout the pages. The series – along with some other pieces – will be on view in NYC through August 16, as part of a group show at Mixed Greens entitled: Crossing the Line: Contemporary Drawing and Artistic Process curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah and Dexter Wimberly.
Images courtesy of Mixed Greens.
Learn more below:
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