Work by Deborah Roberts

Feb. 5. Black History Month is a great time to explore Black art. Deborah Roberts, an accomplished artist from Austin, Texas, will discuss her work during a You Tube Live Artist Talk hosted by Davidson College 5-8 pm Feb. 9.

Roberts creates marvelous collages that may contain fragments of different features, skin tones, hairstyles and clothing to imagine new, expansive notions of identity.

The variations inherent in her collage materials highlight the complexity of Black subjecthood.

Thought-provoking

Deborah Roberts

Roberts says her “faces are demanding, they’re asking you to see their humanity and individuality.”

Those depicted may be defiant, sassy, empowered.

”Having one’s identity dismantled, marginalized and regulated to non-human status demands action,” she told Cornelius Today.

She earned her MFA from Syracuse University. Her work has been widely exhibited in the US and Europe.

Inspiration:

“What inspires me is having young children see themselves in the work especially when it comes to my TEXT works. It’s so important that Black people are seen as full persons with hope, desires and dreams,” she said.

Tune in: Tuesday Feb. 9, starting at 5 pm via You Tube Live.