Select Portraits

Mel: Peace, 36x48, digital print & acrylic on canvas

Source Photo Provided by Mel, Photographer Credit: Lashay "Devonna" Smith

The portraits in The Women in Between are digital works printed on canvas and created from photographs provided by each contributor. Rather than altering or correcting the original images, Boxx The Artist intentionally preserved the unique color qualities found within each photograph as a study of representation, printmaking, and perception.

Drawing inspiration from the color calibration blocks found on Shirley Cards, the portraits incorporate pixelated accents and color-coded elements that reference the systems historically used to measure and reproduce color in photography and print. These visual interventions highlight the wide range of tones, undertones, and hues that exist within dark skin, subtle distinctions that are often flattened, ignored, or inaccurately reproduced through imaging technologies.

Each source photograph was selected through conversations with the women themselves. Together, the images and accompanying stories became a reflection of how each woman sees herself and wishes to be seen. Their photographs served as entry points into discussions about identity, beauty, visibility, personal challenges, aspirations, and the ways they navigate the world.

By preserving the integrity of the original photographs while transforming them through a contemporary visual language, the portraits function as both celebration and inquiry, while contrasted by the photography capture for the collection. This collections invites viewers to consider how color, memory, and representation shape the stories we tell about ourselves and one another.

Desarae LeShore

Dez: The Sister-Mother, 40x60, digital print on canvas & acrylic, 2023

This painting is a digital rendition of Desarae "Dez" LeShore, a mental health provider and doula. Dez reflects on her experiences growing up as a twin and what care looked like in a household raised by a matriarch. Her portrait captures a moment of transition, as she often found herself between roles while becoming and discovering who she is.

Source Photo provided by: Desarae LeShore

Domonique Moon

Wishing on a Full Moon, 36x40, digital print on canvas & acrylic, 2023

This portrait captures Domonique as the star she always dreamed of becoming. As a little girl, filmmaking was always her dream, and over the years she found her way to doing what she loves as both an actress and filmmaker. This painting serves as her calling card, rendered in symbolic black and white, like a moon illuminating the night sky that helped her find her path.

Source Photo provided by: Domonique Moon

Plum Virtue

The Virtuous Woman, 36x48, digital print on canvas & acrylic, 2023

As a creative, Plum Virtue expresses how important creativity is to her, stating that it is as essential as the blood flowing through her body. This portrait reflects that sentiment, blending Plum into the painting as though she is becoming one with it. It offers the perspective of being inseparable from creativity itself. Plum's expression symbolizes the challenges she has faced throughout life, obstacles that never could quite break her, but instead make her stronger. She paves the way for others, using her experiences to uplift those around her and shares the light that often follows darkness.

Source Photo provide by: Plum Virtue

Ms. Mary Ann

Ms. Mary Ann: The Matriarch, 36x48, digital print on canvas & acrylic, 2023

Ms. Mary Ann, an influencer of her time, before the word existed in today's contemporary sense, was an Avon sales rep. She advanced to district manager, becoming a leader in her industry while helping women feel beautiful and confident. A gem in her own right, she embodied a standard of style and grace that she shared with others. As a mother figure to all who knew her, she cared deeply for her children, grandchildren, and any child in need. Her granddaughter, Rav'n, describes her as her biggest fan and someone who helped save her life. Through the lives she touched and the generations she helped raise, Ms. Mary Ann leaves behind a lasting legacy, always to be remember.

Source Photo provided by: Rav'n Partee

Donisha Reed

Donisha: The Healer, 36x48, digital print on canvas, 2023

Donisha, the healer, describes herself as a product of divine love, that has shaped the woman she has become. Her portrait reflects that foundation, a soft welcoming smile, capturing a life dedicated to pouring back into others. A public health leader and advocate championing the south-side of Chicago leading she spreads access to healthcare to her city. The healer has dedicated her life as love letter to Chicago through uplifting the community and helping those in need.

Source Photo provided by: Donisha Reed

Daja Ray

LaWanda: The Guiding Light, 40x60, digital print on canvas, 2023

This painting serves as a quiet reflection of motherhood. Depicted in a graduation gown with an extended balloon holding her daughter, the portrait captures the unwavering support, guidance, and encouragement she offered throughout Daja's life. More than a mother, LaWanda was a guiding light, a steady presence whose influence continues to shape the path ahead. She remains Daja's North Star, and through this portrait, her legacy continues to shine.

Source Photo Provided by: Daja Ray

Mel Johnson

Mel: War, 36x48, digital print & acrylic on canvas, 2023

Mel War represents the resilience required to survive unimaginable circumstances. Mel shared her experiences of childhood abuse and how those experiences ultimately led her to become an advocate and trainer dedicated to helping others. As a child, athletics became both an escape and a source of strength. Her relationship with her body was shaped by trauma, leaving her disconnected from a vessel she once struggled to love. Over time, however, she learned to embrace herself fully. This portrait captures the warrior within that transmuted pain into beauty and reclaimed ownership of her story.

Source Photo Provided by Mel

Photographer Credit: Lashay "Devonna" Smith

Mel Johnson

Melody: The Warrior, 36x48, digital print & acrylic on canvas, 2023

Melody serves as the culmination of the journey. Self-titled, it depicts the warrior who endured the battle, survived the war, and emerged on the other side. No longer hidden, she can finally be seen. This portrait offers an intimate glimpse into Mel's eyes and the purity of her spirit. It is a reflection of strength without armor, and the beauty that remains after survival.

Source Photo Provided by: Mel

Photographer Credit: Lashay "Devonna" Smith

Mel: Peace:

This portrait reflects transformation and release. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, this portrait symbolizes Mel's evolution into herself. No longer defined by survival alone, she moves through the world with a deeper sense of acceptance, freedom, and peace. The work honors the courage it takes to heal and embrace one's becoming.

Mel-Lo Triptych

This triptych explores three chapters of Mel-Lo's journey: Mel War, Mel Peace, and Melody. Together, the works reflect resilience, transformation, and self-acceptance.

Faith Payne

Five: Faith, 36x48, digital print & acrylic on canvas

Five: Faith captures Faith through a subtle reference to the number five, revealed within the composition through her tattoo. Five is often associated with freedom, change, adventure, transformation, and the human experience. It represents humanity's connection to the physical world and the dynamic forces that shape our lives. This portrait reflects how Faith exists and moves through the world, grounded in growth, possibility, and continual evolution. More than a symbolic number, five becomes a reflection of her essence. Through every transition, challenge, and new beginning, she remains rooted in who she is. She is Faith.

Source Photo Provided by: Faith

Photographer Credit: Tai Payne

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