Duwenavue Johnson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Duwenavue, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day is living my best life in the beautiful summer weather.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a contemporary American artist, primarily telling my visual narratives using hand embroidery and mixed media painting. My artistic practice explores themes of history, identity, and the influence of social norms, particularly on marginalized voices. Delves into the interplay of love and violence, pre- and post-colonial experiences, and dominant structures that shape our understanding of the world are topics that allow me to see where, as a people, we are today.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was…I was a walking encyclopedia, hopeful ballerina, consuming knowledge at a rapid pace. I was pure potential, an eager student with an insatiable hunger to learn and connect. I knew who I was and that I had the greatest grandparents in the world that would tell me stories of fascinating things. I had a love for curiosity and this trait isn’t lost on me.
At 9 years old, I was a strong and unstoppable. I knew that at 24 what I would be wearing, how I would be traveling and what type of haircut I was going to have. My goal was to live in the city, wear white boots, navy skirt and bag with a blazer and short cropped hair. Riding the subway with strangers was going to be my workday routine. I was myself, artist,
reader, traveler and dreamer.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
When I lived with my grandparents, they had a hifi stereo and when you opened the cabinet there where a series of records. As a child I wasn’t allowed to play the records. I would stare at the album covers and imagine the songs, wonder where they were from and what the house was like when it was filled with music. This is something I miss, never had, but wanted. Most of the records I know now. Being able to go back and discover those records again would be magical.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
“I admire Ida B. Wells, her incredible character that resonates with me, far more than any power she wielded. For me, she represents courage and a commitment to truth. I’m especially drawn to her fearless nature the face uncertainty ; when her friends were lynched, she launched into investigative journalism, exposing the brutal economic realities behind those horrific acts. She risked everything, even her life and her newspaper, to bring light to such dark injustices is profoundly inspiring.
What also strikes me is her fierce independence and her relentless pursuit of justice for women’s suffrage, particularly for Black women who were often unheard and seen.. She was a great fact-finder, using data and evidence to dismantle the false narratives of her time. Her resilience is another quality I truly admire; she faced constant threats and opposition, yet she just kept fighting, never giving up on her mission for a more just society. She embodied integrity and a relentless pursuit of what was right, while sharing her knowledge with the world.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I know I have 10 years left. I don’t hang out with negative people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artxstitch.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sante_artxstitch.com
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
