We recently connected with Deona Lizette and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Deona thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I wish I had known what I wanted to do sooner because I was always drawing, but not seriously. I knew I wanted to improve at the craft, but I never thought pursuing art as a profession would be an ideal path. Growing up, my mother always bought me pencils, colored pencils, and how-to books on elevating your artistic abilities, so she saw the potential, but I saw sports as a means of expression at the time. It wasn’t until I was in my third year of undergrad that I decided to major in the arts. I knew how to draw to an extent, so I was accepted into the program, and as I got better at creating work, so did my insight into how to look, think, and express how I feel through paint and marks on the canvas.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I work monochromatically through carvings and paintings on canvas and woodblocks to produce figural work. I’m interested in metamorphosing the figure in space to capture the existence of the spiritual presence. I build up layers of paint that sit under and over the print, which acts as an otherworldly being. Working with the anamorphism of the figures, I allow them to transform into organic, abstract forms within illusory spaces that reveal the connection between realms. When creating these works, I think about branding, scarification, tattooing, and how these reference tribal masks.

I produce high-quality oil paintings, digital prints, and encaustic carvings for a contemporary audience.

I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, and now reside in Brooklyn, NY.

I graduated in the spring from Pratt Institute with my MFA, which was my proud moment.

I got into art by watching cartoons, reading comic strips in the Sunday paper, and watching people draw different things, so it was infectious for me to do so.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I believe that society should support artists while they are alive.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

My most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing the outcome of long hours working on a piece.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deonalizette.com
• Instagram: lizettestudio.art

Image Credits

Federico Savini