Ila Lovelace-Kuhnert

These 3 paintings were inspired by the beauty of the black women around me. The paintings all aim to capture the essence and true natural beauty of women, in particular black women, in a time where ideas of beauty have been shaped in a Eurocentric way. Fortunately, we are coming out of this way of thinking and I like to embrace this in my artwork. In each painting, a butterfly was included. This is because butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life and many cultures associate them with our souls. They also symbolize freedom, endurance, change and hope. Although this fits well with the theme of my pieces, to me, butterflies are a symbol of loved ones departed and the reason I incorporate them into my pieces which represent black beauty is to show that we are never alone in life since the butterflies almost walk with you on your journey.