Exhibit dates: February 2 – March 16, 2024
Artist Reception: February 3, 6-8 pm
(Sponsored by the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.)
9419 Battle St, Manassas, Free & open to the public
Artist Talk: March 9, 2-4 pm
9419 Battle St, Manassas, Free & open to the public
“In Our Image: A Reflection of the Creator”
Each work serves as a portal into realms where the ethereal meets the tangible, challenging viewers to contemplate the sublime nature of creation and our spiritual essence. Inspired by a Bible scripture that states that humans were created in God’s image, I mindfully sought to “create” some. You are invited on a visual odyssey moving across the timeless theme of human essence mirrored in the divine. Through a symphony of diverse materials and symbolic layers, and the blending of traditional and contemporary elements, my forms reflect the multifaceted nature of our existence. While some are hidden from sight, I have left exposed the “building blocks” so that one may consider the intricate tapestry woven when spirituality converges with the tangible world. In deconstructing and then in the process of assembling forms, I attempt to unveil the beauty between the mortal and the supreme within the canvas of our shared human experience.
In the golden threads that symbolically bind each figure together, I playfully conceive with and as the Creator. The work beckons you to entertain dialogue about the ways in which art can serve as a bridge between the mortal and the transcendent. I want you to see yourselves in the work and to think about the divine imprint within us all. Lastly, I simply offer a glimpse at the myriad of human beings bearing this shared spark.
About the Artist
Dr. Yemonja Smalls is a multidisciplinary artist who has spent over twenty years professionally seeking to understand people, what motivates and challenges them and assisting in building supports to help them live their best lives. Her extensive work with people with developmental disabilities has informed her fascination with the complexities of relationships, which is a common theme reflected in many of her layered mixed media creations.
Yemonja’s creations in various mediums from paint, wood, glass and anything else she can hold and mold have been exhibited in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, the Frederick Douglass Issac-Meyers Maritime Museum, Hill Center Galleries, Harold Washington Library, South Side Community Art Center, Howard University, the Sojourner Family Peace Center among others, and reside in various private collections across the nation.