We Are Our Own Universe by Taeesha Muhammad

We Are Our Own Universe, 2023, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas, 36×24 inches

As an artist, I am very connected to the way we, as women, express ourselves in the world. I love to hear women speak! Our voices, our cadence, our tones. We have grace and elegance about us, and I desire to bring that out in the pieces of this series. And we cannot be silenced or made to feel invisible. There is a language and a culture we, as Indigenous Beings, come from. In my work, I want to bring out the beauty I see in the written language of our ancestral home, as well as the beauty of the woman in her natural form.

As a mixed media artist, my current body of work explores themes of Joy, Belonging, and the Human Condition. Through my works, I connect the classic and the contemporary woman and explore the unique dynamics of women and their progeny moving through the world around us. Using the traditional patterns of African Nations in contemporary scenes, I want to show the importance of our history, our Sankofa. In thinking about how humanity is shown in every situation, I want to bring those moments to light. I will always depict the joy found in ordinary days.

Taeesha Muhammad is a collagist, abstract painter, and arts educator. Her works inspire a dialog about the power of language related to the African in the Americas from all Diasporas. Her art has always explored the human condition. As an African American Female, she has a distinct point of view of the world. There are so many layers; in learning about herself, as a Being, as a woman, and as a descendant of Africa in America, she sees the world through many lenses. Her works question how we connect the past to the future and how the world’s citizens connect. It is a very open-ended curiosity because she allows the questions of relationships, interactions, vibes, emotions, the physical, and the spiritual. She is always looking for synchronicity. In her works, there is also a great wonder about how people move in their culture. How can we create the natural ebb and flow that is necessary to support and nurture each other? This is the language that connects us. Her work shows the Human Condition’s merge of cultures, personalities, connections, and vibes.