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Tschabalala Self was born in 1990 in Harlem. Self is an American artist best known for her depictions of Black female figures using paint, fabric, and discarded pieces of her previous works. Though she uses mixed media, all of her works are on canvas and employ a "painting language." Self grew up in Harlem, New York where she was raised in a predominantly black community; yet she was exposed to varying cultures within the African American identity. In an interview by Jasmin Mahmoud, Self states, “You have Black people from the Caribbean. You have Africans. You have ADOS [American Descendents of Slavery]. So, it was a very diverse community." Her upbringing plays a large role in how she portrays black female bodies within her canvas work and sculptural pieces. Paying homage to her mother's sewing, Self utilizes materials such as a discarded fabric, used clothing threads, and leftover quilts in order to highlight the individualistic nature of each body part on the female body.

Education
After graduating from Bard College with a B.A. in 2012, Self completed her M.F.A. in painting and printmaking at the Yale School of Art. Self has also held residencies at the American Academy in Rome, the La Brea Studio, T293 in Naples, Italy, and Red Bull House of Art in Detroit.

Career
Self's first solo show was in 2015 at Schur-Narula in Berlin. In a review of a solo show at Thierry Goldberg gallery in New York in 2016, The New York Times declared, "Ms. Self’s work has great promise, which she is developing." Peter Schjeldahl compared her piece at the New Museum's 2017 "Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon" to the works of Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning. Self's work has also been featured in a solo exhibition at the Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art in London. Self's work is in the permanent collection of Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California; Perez Art Museum Miami, Miami, Florida; Rubell Family Collection, Miami, Florida, and the JP Morgan Chase Art Collection.

Artistic Style
Self has said, "I use materials in an unconventional way to subvert the status quo. You don’t have to use paint to make a painting. It aligns with my overall message, which is one of change." The use of unconventional materials help to highlight the unique shapes of a body because it separates the emphasis of each part from the whole structure of the artwork and creates an individual space for the pieces to express rather than to perform for the audience.

Works
One Self's most prominent work, The Function, sheds light into the social aspect of the art piece and explains the abstract nature of the figure and its background. Tschabalala states in an interview, “A stereotype is a flat character with two dimensions. And I can confront those stereotypical images by making round, multidimensional characters with complicated desires, inner dialogues, and psychology." The art piece is created by patching together pieces of old paintings, raw canvas, and fabrics which are assembled by stretching, painting and drawing over them. This gives the avatar a greater sense of dimension as it highlights the dynamic motion of turning one’s back indicated by the creased fabric.

Furthermore, Self explains in an interview “My work does not comment on stereotypes and generalizations about the black female body, my practice absorbs these fantasies. The work is celebratory because one must thrive despite destructive rhetoric." Self’s avatar portrays a great deal of confidence. The way her body is angled reveals her exposed chest and creates a divided space between her range of motion and the peripheral vision of the audience. The avatar flaunts her conviction by placing her hand suggestively on her rear, which in Self’s perspective, is an act of self-awareness, courage, and ownership of one's body. This statement explains the explicit nature of Self’s, The Function, because the expressive body language of how the avatar is glaring into the viewer suggests a direct confidence in the individual’s intention, mind, and purpose. This is almost as if the viewer is pulled into the life of the avatar and thus, is able to understand the racial connotations of being a woman in a black community while maintaining a strong presence in public. The eyes in background allows the avatar to revert the gaze onto the viewer which brings to light the judgmental attitude towards women of color in public settings.

Recognition
Self has been named to Forbes "30 Under 30 List". She has also been recognized as a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant recipient.

Personal life
Self currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut.