Lakeshia T. Reid

This portrait of a beautiful young woman depicted in three-quarter view caught Edie Carpenter's eye in an exhibition curated by Steve Cozart at the African American Atelier.  The Raleigh-based artist, Lakeshia Reid, connects her painting, "All That You Change Changes You"  and a recent body of works to #BlackGirlMagic.

She notes: “I first came across the hashtag on the internet. On various platforms, I saw that it represented a curated space where black women could celebrate their achievements, unapologetically show self-love, and connect with each other. I think my association was a natural response to seeing others engaged with it. "

Seeking to reveal how identity shapes artistic practices, the movement embraces many forms of black feminist art. In Reid’s painting entitled “All That You Change Changes You” the “beauty, power and resilience of Black women” is evoked through subtle associations between the subject’s braided hairstyle and geometric patterns on the wall of the building in the background, and the gold pendant she wears.

Reid’s strong female viewpoint finds even greater expression in her new work on view in WINTER SHOW. "The Cause of Miracles (The Fool)", a 2020 work by Reid, creates a layered narrative connecting tarot deck iconography with present-day aspirations:  

 “I was reintroduced to tarot cards when I found a show that was using the cards as a way to introduce different characters. It inspired me to purchase a deck for myself, and I fell in love with the universal use of symbols imagery. I didn’t make the connection between #BlackGirlMagic and Tarot Cards until much later, but it made so much sense to me."

Associated in the Tarot deck with new beginnings, innocence, and independence, The Fool is represented as a carefree young man walking perilously near the precipice of a cliff. In Reid’s version, her heroine also holds a rose in her left hand but is dressed as if for a hike in shorts, tee-shirt and boots. Like the hero of the card, she appears lost in her own experience of the landscape. Reid’s painting has inspired viewers such as Natalia Siegel, who viewed the painting when exhibited at the Triangle Community Foundation:  

“I love love love The Cause of Miracles. There’s such power in her body showing a whimsical joy, while wearing the staple of every New Yorker’s closet: a pair of crisp and strong Timberland boots.” - Natalia Siegel, Donor Services Officer, Triangle Community Foundation https://trianglecf.org/an-inside-look-at-artist-lakeshia-t-reeds-show-in-front-of-the-mirror/

Reid’s painting "Free Them Free Self" also depicts a single female figure in a stylized landscape. A woman in jeans rides a bicycle down a coastal highway where other cyclists are visible in the distance. As in "The Fool", the sky appears to be stamped with a pattern of concentric half-circles and the voyager bears flowers—the bright sunflowers in her basket. In contrast to the earlier painting in which the narrative appears frozen in time and the figure’s dance stopped in mid-step, "Free Them Free Self" is more immediate. The young smiling woman looks directly out at the viewer, as if extending an invitation to join her and take the steps we are perhaps afraid to take.

Lakeshia T. Reid graduated from Elizabeth City State University with a BS in Graphic Design. She has been awarded the Regional Emerging Artist Residency by Artspace and the Brightwork Fellowship by Anchorlight in Raleigh. She is currently working on solo exhibitions at ArtSpace (March 2021) and Anchorlight (November 2021). She notes that her ”ArtSpace show will include more tarot inspired work while the Anchorlight show will hopefully be a pivot into new territory.”