How glorious is it to love oneself the way you are?

“Glory” was created after work done to resolve body-image issues brought on by often anti-black diet culture. The pressure to lose weight to fit within a certain body frame standard drove me into severe mental illness, the trauma of which lasted for many years following. As part of my healing process, I unfollowed social media influencers that pushed toxic body ideals in favor of ones who pushed fat liberation, body positivity (as it existed at the time), and healthy relationships with food. One such influence was a model named Daniella the Creator, who serves as the muse for this piece. Through seeing her pose and adorn her body in such loving ways, I began to see the beauty within myself. “Glory” stands as the promise to love myself as I am and as I will change.

“Glory” was created using full-body acrylic on a 18” x 24” gallery-wrapped canvas. It features a Black woman with an afro adorned with morning glory and baby’s breath flowers, head wrapped in gentle vines, crying tears of joy.

Original currently unavailable for purchase.