STACEY GILLIAN ABE

• Stacey Gillian Abe

In Stacey Gillian Abe’s latest body of work, Of Kings, Queens, and Prostitutes, the artist explores ideas of being and becoming, living as one’s truest self through self-discovery and a complete understanding of one’s own identity. One of the most vital issues facing the Black community today, amongst others, is a sense of belonging: to be seen and heard and to be understood. Stacey Gillian Abe explores these issues to highlight a state of being and becoming; to live in one’s truest form as a journey towards self-discovery.

Stacey Gillian Abe seeks to highlight the very essence of the subject in her paintings. Despite their individual vulnerabilities and imperfections, the indigo-hued figures exist in a state of reassured calm, claiming ownership of their space and power. In this way, Abe investigates eudaimonia in identity, which she describes as an ability for living well, perfection in respect of virtue, human prosperity, flourishing and blessedness.

Abe’s work is autobiographical in nature, reflecting her own past and her memories, highlighting her personal experiences and her relationships to her community. The autobiographical dimension of her work confronts traditional depictions of the Black body, drawing attention to more cerebral aspects and challenging the colonial lens. The concepts behind Abe’s artworks highlight specific complex situations. Drawing on early and continuous autobiographical experiences, Abe’s works offer a reassessment of conventional depictions of her as Black woman by choosing to focus on the suppleness of the mind. These images materialise as created imaginary spaces that induce a surreal mystical feel while probing unsettling past and present narratives of identity, gender, spirituality and cultural mysticism.