EVERYBODY ELSE HAS A GOD IN THEIR IMAGE, WHY CAN’T I, 2023

Monique Edwards is a Jamaican-Canadian artist whose work highlights systemic racism, cultural erasure, resistance, and colonization’s lasting impacts on identity and society. Her work is characterized by vibrant hues, intricate textures, and expressive forms inspired by Jamaica and the Caribbean. Influenced by the African diasporic experience, Edwards explores the varying relationships between popular culture and fine art, the multifaceted layers of identity and consciousness, and the complexities of what it means to exist as a Black woman in a world shaped by white supremacist ideologies. “In my work, I use pertinent aspects of history and speak to the trials and tribulations that people of color are faced with today. By examining race, gender, and power dynamics, I confront and challenge the prevailing narratives and stereotypes surrounding Black womanhood. I consciously make work as a visual exploration of the resilience, strength, and beauty inherent in the Black female experience, while also interrogating the systems of oppression and marginalization that seek to define and limit it.”