Vanessa German : “ Power Figures ” Armed with a Mantra for Justice
By Jaimee Swift
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Street death is not romantic and I think it has been romanticized . It is not a trauma that is treated like a trauma ; we don ’ t treat victims of trauma with the care that research and medicine tell us they have to be treated with , which is then another layer of trauma . — Vanessa German
Charleena Lyles . Tanisha Anderson . Yvette Smith . Miriam Casey . Shelly Fray . Darnisha Harris . Malissa Williams . Alesia Thomas . Shantel Davis . Rekia Boyd . Shereese Francis . Aiyana Stanley-Jones . Karen Smith .
It can be a unique yet daunting position to be a Black woman in America . The cognitive dissonance of having to survive in a world which renders you inferior but relies so heavily on your strength can be overwhelming . The intersectionality of oppressions — your race , gender , sexual identity , class and more — are often overlooked as afterthoughts ; in which you are constantly fighting and advocating for a place and space in a world which does not recognize your existence . Rendered as a “ superwoman ,” you are expected to save everyone but yourself . In the face of pervasive violence , who is supposed to save you ?
Tarika Wilson . Kathryn Johnston . Alberta Spruill . Kendra James . Sandra Bland . Korryn Gaines . Chyna Gibson . Ciara McElveen . Jaquarrius Holland .
Vanessa German celebrates the strength , the lives and the overall essence of Black women and girls through her powerful visuals , sculptures , and artistry . An awardwinning multidisciplinary artist , German uses both personal experiences and social issues related to gun violence and state-sanctioned violence to craft artistic narratives that passionately and fearlessly blends art , activism , and social justice . A poet , performer , photographer and sculptor , her eclectic and ethereal artwork unabashedly speaks to the reclamation of power and agency of Black women and girls , in a world that has tried to thwart their potential via violence ; “ a for us , by us ” stance that , just like German , is in all ways nuanced and always unapologetic .
“ Whether as a Black person , a woman , a lover , a queer woman , a sister — any issue , any concern , any ailment , physical , political , any splinter that cuts into my being , can be worked out through the creative process ,” she says . “ This is why I obsessively draw , paint , and create images of the Black female body , out of ordinary sacred , everyday objects in ways that pronounce the holiness and pronounce the power of creativity and the being .”
Defined by German as “ power figures ,” her bold and brilliant sculptures of Black women almightily adorned with random artifacts — including household objects , African beads and antique items — gathered in her predominantly , African-American neighborhood of Homewood in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , showcases the profound majesty and dynamism of the Africana aesthetic . If art is an extension of the artist and is a reflection of their vitality , then German ’ s work is meditative of not just the physical , but also the spiritual and ancestral .
“ My aesthetic is something that is driven by the Africana aesthetic and that comes from a place of deep love ,” she says . “ The truth is that my people are with me and by my people I mean , people who made me , who are no longer physically present ,” German continues . “ So , when I feel like I ’ m trusting my instincts , I am listening to my ancestors .”
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