“Skin Deep” is curated by Dr. Lauren Davidson and brings together the work artists Vanessa Villareal and Candice Tavares. Viewers are given an intimate look into their visions of Black beauty. It is a direct rebuttal to the historically dim vision of Black beauty through a mainstream lens. By digging deeply into historical and contemporary perspectives of African American life and exploring traditions in the African diasporic community, these artists tackle topics of self-identity, Black female beauty, and self- acceptance.
Meet the Curator - Dr. Lauren Davidson
Dr. Lauren Davidson is an independent art curator and founder of Museum Nectar Art Consultancy. Museum Nectar is a curatorial and art advisory service working primarily in the field of contemporary African American art supporting emerging and mid-career artists. Through her curatorial work, Davidson investigates issues and initiates conversation about the many facets of the Black experience.
Past exhibitions include The World in My Mind (The Ven Hotel, Washington, D.C.) and New Visions: Hope and Possibility (Hera Hub DC). Most recently, along with Jarvis Dubois, Davidson co-curated the critically reviewed “The Ties That Bind” and “Zero Dollar Bill: The Prints of Imar Lyman” at IA&A at Hillyer in Washington, D.C. The culmination of this dual exhibition was a moderated conversation between artist Imar Lyman and award-winning filmmaker Haile Gerima (“Sankofa”, 1993) about their use of printmaking and film to advance social justice. Davidson partners regularly with local DC based arts organizations to curate exhibitions and conduct artist talks. She also serves on the International Art and Artists (IA&A) at Hillyer Advisory Committee and as a docent at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
Davidson is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. She also completed a postdoctoral residency and Master of Comparative Medicine from the National Institutes of Health and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She balances her left and right brain through her veterinary work and curatorial practice.
Meet the Artist - Candice Tavares
Candice Tavares is a self taught illustrator and wood artist born and raised just outside of Philadelphia, PA. Her art is a celebration of Black beauty, love and culture that highlights the rich history and diversity of black hair and skin complexion. She was encouraged to experiment with different mediums during Saturday morning art classes and introduced to woodworking while helping her dad build and fix furniture in his woodshop. Years later she was able to combine that knowledge and experience to develop a style of art that felt uniquely hers. Candice was inspired to create positive, emotionally captivating images of black women, men and families as a therapeutic outlet for the emotionally charged work she does as a palliative care pharmacist. She sees her art as an opportunity to challenge the negative narratives about blackness that are so prevalent within the healthcare system and media at large. Her art is intended to remind Black people of their inherent beauty and value and remind non-black viewers of their shared humanity with black and brown people through the common bonds of love, joy and longing.
Meet the Artist - Vanessa Villarreal
Vanessa Villarreal is a mixed-media visual artist based in Washington, DC. Originally from Florida, Vanessa’s affinity for creating started at the age of three and was sustained throughout her life, practicing an array of mediums, from crocheting to painting. After years of prioritizing her studies in the health field as an undergraduate and then graduate student while trying to sustain her passion for the visual arts, she eventually committed to her journey as a full-time visual artist in February of 2022. In September of 2022, she exhibited her mixed-media triptych, “When I Grow Up” in her first juried gallery exhibition at Girls Who Paint Gallery in Kensington, Maryland. Since then, she has exhibited her work at several other local group exhibitions. Through mixed-media art, she creates more tangible documentation of the Black experience in America and her own personal experiences, highlighting Black people's joy, vulnerability, and humanity.
The exhibition will be going on from September 8 - October 7th. Please visit during gallery hours or attend a special event(s).