"An Intimate Conversation" | Delita Martin

In her second solo exhibition at SJG, Delita Martin explores how women of color have traditionally been defined and command our attention by giving them prominence through the use of large- scale portraiture. In this new series, printmaker Martin uses a variety of mediums, including various printmaking techniques, painting, drawing, collage and hand-stitching, and even repurposing vintage jewelry into her layering process.

This layering allows me to convey a sense of time, history and movement. In these works, I am also exploring the different signs and symbols that help define the space women reside in. In my previous works, the backgrounds communicated a specific sign, symbol, or icon to assist the viewer in their conversation with the work.

Those signs and symbols helped define the perspective of the image. This new body of work transitions the women and their place of residence into a spiritual realm. Where the symbolism is less defined, the shapes are floral and more organic, and the icons are left for the viewer to ponder and create a space for the women to be birthed into.