We were lucky to catch up with Noreen Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Noreen , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

As a black woman I’ve experienced being mischaracterized as, “Aggressive” for standing unapologetically in my truth. This was despite having calm demeaner, positive intent, and an absolute right to self advocate. When I was aggrieved and obviously offended, I was labeled, “the Angry Black Woman”. I later discovered 100% of my black/brown female friends had these same, unfortunate scenarios play out over various circumstances. 80% of those occurrences were interactions with white women and/or men. Not only did this reveal obvious discrimination but, it also appeared as if we were being told black/brown women don’t have the right to have an opposing view, show emotions, or be angry under any circumstances. I know that these gross offenses and mischaracterizations do not define us. Black/brown women are not ticking time bombs set to blow up all over white privilege.
We in fact, are healers, lovers, survivors, and overcomers.
My body of work is reflective of that truth. It is meant to highlight the power of black/brown women through stories reflective of my personal journey and the shared experiences of many.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a self-taught multidisciplinary artist from Baltimore, MD., whose love for making began from observing the women in my family create. Those authentic experiences taught me that art is a birth right belonging to everyone, a universal form of communication, and an intimate exchange that on the deepest level can evoke a visceral response. Knowing I could cultivate an artistic voice that could be seen, felt, and heard was the catalyst for my beginnings as an Artist. In the exploration of my artistic practices during COVID quarantine I rediscovered my partiality for creating collage.
As a comic book and graphic novel reader, I naturally gravitated toward those books for sourced materials to deconstruct and reconstruct into new images that express my creative vision.
Intuitively I began implementing an interlocking method, enabling me to construct collages unaffixed to any background.
My body of work is rooted in my journey through life as a black woman and the social/racial inequities black/brown women face when living out feminine freedoms and human rights in a white male dominated society. Additionally, my work is meant to highlight the innate power found in womanhood, and the divine feminine, inclusive of those seldom celebrated complexities and nuances of female existence over time and various life occurrences.

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

My goal is to spotlight the magnificence and power found in womanhood with special emphases on the strength and fortitude of black/brown women in America, by telling our stories of triumph over trial by fire.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is using my creativity to make physical objects that provoke thought, emotion, and dialogue.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.njustisart.com
• Instagram: @njustisart
• Other: iamnjustisart@gmail.com

Image Credits
Joseph Hyde