Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Darlene Deloris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Darlene, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

If I had the opportunity, I would have started my creative career sooner. I knew as a young child that I loved viewing and making art, but I was consistently told that a career in art was not realistic. I was told women, especially Black women have no business in art and that my intellect and talents would be best utilized as a secretary or a lawyer. This was the real life truth of what adults were telling me at the time. So I went through school thinking that art could be nothing more than a hobby for me. When I was 23 my eldest sibling passed away. I was devastated. It took me a long time to fine normalcy again. Art became a means to processing my pain. I would paint and draw to deal with my grief. After seeing what I’d been creating, I had a couple of friends who asked if I could create artwork for them and they would pay me for it. It was then that I realized that I could actually be an artist. Although it still took me several more years before I fully committed to becoming a professional artist. It was 3 years later before I put in the necessary time to grow my audience, establish a style, and make connections with in the art world. So I was 26-27 when I decided to invest in myself. I am now 35 and I’ve sold dozens of pieces, created many commissions, and shown my work in a countless number of exhibitions both in Georgia and New York City. If I had the chance I would have invested in myself as early as I could have. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the support of people around me in my youth that could help guide me the way that I’ve had it as an adult. On a positive note, I’ve learned a lot throughout the years that I spent not creating as a professional. But I could have been enjoying the fruits of my labor at a much earlier age with the right guidance.

Darlene, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Born in Atlanta, Ga in the 1980s, I, Darlene Deloris, also use the moniker Lena Love. I studied History and African American Studies at the University of Georgia and in 2014, began pursuing an art career. I started out by showcasing my work in the Broken Board Art Show, Moving Art Exhibitions, and by working as a receptionist and apprentice at tri-Cities Tattoo Company in East Point, Ga. In 2018 I moved to New York City where I flourished with the opportunity to instruct art classes, orchestrating hundreds of art projects for children between the ages of 2-11. I also hold a license in tattooing. In 2019, I joined Brooklyn based gallery SK Artspace, and proudly continue to create & curate as a member of the SK Collective. I am a multi-disciplinary artist who centers my paintings around emotional intimacy within the Black diaspora. I use reference photos to create portraits of Black people, typically women, frozen with stoic reactions or moods, and then use symbols, texture, patterns, and vibrant colors to portray emotion. Giving voice to the Black woman who is constantly transposing between a state of angst and of regality. I strive to make conscious, direct, and whimsical art that presents a stoic gaze to the viewer, while using colors to equate emotion

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I have never been afraid to tuck my tail between my legs and learn something new or start over. At 26, I wasn’t sure what my life had in store for me, so I moved out to California. California was great, and gave me a look at the the world outside of the South. I saw my potential as an artist and decided that I could really be a professional artist if I just put in the work. After a year I decided that I could move back to Georgia and use the connections that I had to figure out where I was supposed to be in the art scene. At 27, moved back to Atlanta and I put myself out there as a newcomer to the Atlanta art scene. I asked to be a part of what is now Inkers Tattoo in Riverdale, Georgia. After several months, that apprenticeship did not work out, So, I started over and asked to be a part of Tri-Cities Tattoo. I wasn’t able to be an apprentice just yet, so I worked two days a week as a receptionist for the shop. I learned so much during this time, from how to run a business, to the ends and outs of the tattoo industry, After a year and a half, I became an apprentice. When I was 30, I decided that I wanted to move to the Big Apple and continue my art development there. So many people told me that I would never make it. That my art wasn’t good enough and that the city would eat me alive. I’ve now lived in Brooklyn for 4 years, have a thriving art career, and continue to show work in both Atlanta and New York. No mater what anyone has ever said about me and what I can’t or won’t be, I’ve maintained that I write my destiny. Only I can be the deciding factor in what I won’t achieve. And if it means starting over 100 times, I will do it.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My individual mission, is to use what I do to provide an easier path for the future generations. When I was a child, I didn’t know about any Black female artists. I hope to be a part of a class of creatives that the youth can see actively living lives creating. That way if they are presented with naysayers and pessimist, they came know there is an alternate reality, where Black people and Black women are active players in the professional art world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.darlenedeloris.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/love.lenalove