We had the good fortune of connecting with Darlene Deloris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Darlene, what do you want your legacy to be?
Since I was a little girl, I”d always wanted to be a famous artist. I wanted to be known for my work. And I wanted my work to have a voice. As an adult, my entire process involves giving a voice to Black women. I use reference photos to create portraits of Black people frozen with stoic reactions or moods, and then use symbols, texture, patterns, and vibrant colors to portray emotion. My artistic process varies depending on the demand, the day, and the current project. Over the years, I’ve taught myself how to use several mediums including acrylics, oils, pastels, graphite, colored pencils, mixed media, and even tattooing. I am heavily influenced by my black female ancestors, vintage photography, African & Tibetan artistry, and Black history. I enjoy developing my Black female perspective into a more fine art and straightforward perspective. I strive to make conscious, direct and whimsical art that presents a stoic emotion to the viewer, while using colors to equate emotion. I hope that my legacy embodies the voices of the people that I paint. I hope that I’m remembered for participating in the growing and evolving immeasurable Black American culture.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 2014, I began pursuing an art career. My painting subjects are typically women, who I feel look like the Black women I grew up seeing and learning around. Since, I have expanded my creative abilities, by gaining a license in tattooing after having apprenticed at Inkers and Tri-Cities Tattoo Company, both located in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2016, I founded and instructed a monthly art class that encouraged self-exploration fused with delicious cupcakes; respectively calling it Cupcakes & Canvases. In 2018 I moved to New York City where I’ve flourished with the opportunity to instruct art classes both in camps and in NYC Schools. Since 2018 I have developed and orchestrated hundreds of art projects for children between the ages of 2-11. In 2019, I began a tenure as the Gallery Assistant for the Brooklyn based gallery SK Artspace, and proudly continue to create & curate as a member of the SK Collective. Considering myself a resident of both Georgia & NYC, I can be found most days teaching, painting, and tattooing in Brooklyn. My journey has in no way been easy. But I truly believe that the difficult moments are what make the amazing moments even more special. They also provide opportunities for one to learn and grow. I’ve learned to set boundaries with colleagues, clients, and even family. This growth has made way for me to create my greatest work of art yet. My daughter. By following my dream of being an artist, and by doing it with integrity, I am being a model for my child to follow and hopefully look up to one day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love Atlanta in the Spring and Summer time. I’d start by getting breakfast at any one of the Thumbs Up restaurants in the city. A nice early afternoon stroll or time spent lounging in the grass at Piedmont or Grant Parks is sure to lift any spirit. For the afternoon I would hang out at anyone of the local bars throughout the city. From East Atlanta to Midtown, the bar scene is eclectic and full of life. For dinner, I would head over to Wyatt’s Bar-B-Que. It’s an Atlanta staple that I’ve been going to since I was a child. For night time fun, I’d go to the one and only MJQ to dance my socks off! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to recognize the many artists that have taught and nurtured me in my artistic journey. These creatives are Black, entrepreneurs, and amazing artists in their own right! Atlanta: *Tricities Tattoo Company: Tyrone ‘Red’ Cooley, Lord Yatta, Dave ‘DangerDave’ Morris *Future Dead Artists: Eugene Byrd Brooklyn: *SK Artspace: Melissa Sutherland, Jarryn Mercer, Symone Wong, Kinna LeBlanc, Dezirae Bradley, Sandy Clafford *Demarcus McGaughey

Website: www.darlenedeloris.com

Instagram: @love.lenalove

Image Credits
Photo of Artist By: Spencer Greene @spencercharles

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