Meet Jasmine Green | Artivist (artist + activist)

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

Hi Jasmine, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
I would say the single most important decision that I’ve made this far is my decision to join 1Hood Media. I connected with them after recognizing Jasiri X from a theme song he performed for the podcast This Week in Blackness, which I had listened to years before. Joining 1Hood has helped me to develop myself both as an artist and activist, which has given me the ability to lay the groundwork for many of the opportunities I’m coming across currently. I recently joined the admin team as the Director of Education, so now I’m able to help feed back into the next generation of artists that same foundation for growth and community that aided me so much.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As someone might be able to ascertain from my artist name, Black Girl Absolute, my work centers on Black women. Outside of finding us incredibly beautiful as muses, it also helps to highlight our humanity when you discuss the nuances of the Black feminine identity through visual art. I have a never ending list of topics I want to cover just around what it means to be a Black woman or what a future that prioritizes our joy can look like, and I don’t see myself ever being able to finish it!

As a self-taught artist, the most challenging aspect for me has definitely been learning patience with the process. As a younger artist, I used to pride myself on how quickly I could complete pieces; social media, for as much as it does help artists grow our networks, was also egging on this perspective of working quickly. However, I realized that this mindset was limiting how much I was actually progressing in my skillset. I’ve since allowed myself to take more time on each individual piece and my work has improved considerably because of it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question so much! At the top of my list would be to visit some of our arts and culture spots, such as the Carnegie Museum of Art and Phipps Conservatory. I’d also have to take them on an obligatory art store trip to Artist and Craftsman, out in Squirrel Hill. To hang out, I’d suggest taking a walk around the Mexican War Streets on the North Side, or making candles in Lawrenceville at Mix Candle Co. For coffee I’d definitely plug Everyday Cafe, a Black-owned coffee joint in Homewood that’s the best in the city. Lastly, for food, I’d say my favorite Thai and pizza spots such Thai Cottage, Kiin Lao & Thai, Aiello’s, and Spak Bros.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’d honestly be too many people to thank; The only reason I’m not still painting in secret is because of how supportive people both inside and out of the Pittsburgh art community have been. I’m honored that people have and continue to believe in what I’m doing, and in turn I’ve been able to meet some of the most incredibly talented and kind people in turn.

Website: Blackgirlabsolute.com

Instagram: @blackgirlabsolute

Twitter: @bga_pgh

Youtube: Black Girl Absolute

Image Credits
All photos by Kitoko Chargois of the Pittsburgh Foundation