‘Power of visibility’: Artist Maya Freelon highlights identity

Born and raised in Houston, Maya Freelon is the goddaughter of poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. She currently resides in New York City. Photo by Jeremy Mines

In celebration of Black History Month, Chapman’s digital Escalette Art Collection highlighted the work of award-winning African American artist Maya Freelon-Asante, who is best known for her sculptures and practice of combining printwork with photography.

Freelon was born in Houston, Texas in 1982. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at LaFayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania and her master of fine arts degree at the Tufts School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. After teaching full time for one year at the college level at both Towson University and Morgan State University she realized her passion lied in creating art rather than teaching it.

“I’m not sure how old I was, but I know I couldn’t read yet,” she said. “I was underneath my parent’s bed and I remember yelling to my mom who was cooking in the kitchen. She came and gave me an old wooden box to put all my crayons and pencils in. I wanted to write ‘Art’ on the cover, but I couldn’t figure out how to spell it. She asked me to sound it out, and I wrote ‘RT,’ but it didn’t look right to me. My mom yelled ‘A-R-T’ and wrote it proudly on the front of my wooden box. That was probably the second word I learned how to spell, after my name.”

Freelon cites her grandmother, Queen Mother Frances J. Pierce, as an inspiration for her work. In 2005, Freelon found water-stained tissue paper in her grandmother’s basement, which sparked her interest in the medium. She was attracted to the colors and physical form of the material as tissue paper can be altered in many different ways.

“I love the phrase my grandmother used to repeat to me: ‘We learned how to make a way out of no way — how to make something out of nothing.’ She was referring to our African and African-American ancestors,” Freelon said. “I want people to honor the tissue paper I use, and see it as a source of beauty and strength, rather than just fragility,” Freelon said.

However, Freelon’s grandmother wasn’t the only person who inspired her to break into the art world. Her uncle is an artist, her mother is a jazz singer, her father is an architect and poet Maya Angelou is her godmother. She couldn’t avoid art.

“Auntie Maya, as I called her, was a kind, generous person who was always happy to hear my voice,” Freelon said. “She called me ‘Young Maya’ and encouraged my artmaking in every way. I miss her, but her legacy lives on through her work. Auntie Maya made me feel invincible.”

Her favorite quote of Angelou’s was, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people never forget how you made them feel.”

Freelon told The Panther while she doesn’t have a particular target audience in mind, she understands that her work may resonate more with some than others.

“I make art for everyone; however, I do believe in the power of visibility,” Freelon said. “As a black, female, queer artist, I am constantly working towards equality and inclusion in a field where white males get the most money and recognition; as a mainly abstract artist, I celebrate the ability to shape-shift without the distraction of a figure, yet I embrace and highlight all aspects of my identity when speaking about my artwork.”

Although Freelon’s world revolves around the arts, she also enjoys partaking in activities with her loved ones.

“I love laughing and playing with my kids, who are ages three, four, and nine,” Freelon said. “I love being outside and going on nature walks, being by the water, going to the lake and beach. I love writing in my journal and hanging with my partner, Jess. She keeps me grounded when I want to bounce into outer space.”