On Thursday, April 27th, artists Elisheba Mrozik and Elise Kendrick hosted a dynamic discussion about their work and the life experiences of black women in 21st century society. Elisheba Mrozik is a Fine Artist, International Award Winning Tattooist, and founding owner of One Drop Ink Tattoo Parlour and Gallery in Nashville, the city’s first black-owned tattoo shop. One Drop Ink is next to another iconic location in Tennessee history: Fisk University.
“I feel like my place in all of this is to bring the black form and black art and the North Nashville community to the rest of the world and to the rest of Nashville. And my job is to bring the thoughts and feelings of the community to the forefront in a beautiful and captivating way,” elegantly articulates Mrozik. Hanging in the halls of our very own arts building stands Mrozik’s massive multiform bonnet. Of the work, Mrozik muses, “I really wanted to explore the bonnet as an accessory. A fashion statement. Also, many people don’t know that fabrics they associate with black culture, like the Dutch wax skirt I’m wearing, are not necessarily African-exclusive art forms. Dutch wax fabrics were actually introduced to Central Africans by merchants during the 19th century. Here I’m playing with that idea and include a variety of fabrics from African artisans, my personal fabrics, and colorful Dutch wax designs too.”
Elise Kendrick, whose work is currently on micro-exhibition at the Frist under the title “Salon Noir,” also houses pieces in the Ingram Arts Center. Originally from Gahanna, Ohio and a graduate of one of Nashville’s most well-recognized HBCUs, Tennessee State University, Kendrick’s current work, “consists primarily of paintings of women of color in addition to linocut prints that touch on hair, race, culture, and the disruption of social norms” (Jonathan Diggs, Frist Museum Arts Curator).
Her “Black Magic” pop-art-inspired series repeats the image of Black Magic hair creams (inspired by the real Blue Magic hair dress/conditioner found across America) and straightening combs, celebrating black beauty and putting emphasis on its importance through repeated imagery. When asked how she wished audiences to perceive her work, she remarked, “I want audiences to take my art as is. I want people to see art made by black women without any filter or interpretation other than what we put there and respect the validity of our art and experience” (Kendrick). In another work, “Off the Creamy Crack,” Kendrick creates a clear visual space for black hair through bold black print on a blue background. Especially in the light of the Crown Act needing to be passed, created in 2019 by the CROWN Coalition and legalized in 19 states to ensure against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles in workplaces and public schools, Kendrick finds “creating a space, especially for black women” more necessary than ever. Through her work, Kendrick inspiringly aims to make, “some people feel seen. That they see themselves represented in a positive way. And to highlight the beauty of individuals” (Kendrick).
If you haven’t seen the Coronation exhibition, check it out in the lobby of the Ingram Arts Building between classes, during snack, or after lunch. Support Nashville arts, and get to know the work of incredible contemporary artists right in your own backyard.
- Parker Stack, Editor
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