Untitled | 2024 | Acrylic, Oil, Spray, Graphite, Charcoal, Pastel | 72 x 72 in.

Chantae Elaine Wright graduated from Hunter College and is currently pursuing her Masters
of Fine Art from Florida Interna#onal University where she studied in Italy, as a part of her
degree. While studying, her work has been exhibited across the US including recent
exhibi#ons at The Bonnier Gallery, Ronald W. Reagan Presiden#al House, and Miami Beach
Visual Arts Gallery.
Chantae’s work confronts tradi.onal no.ons of iden.ty and representa.on. Wrights work
revolve around themes of disiden.fica.on and polymorphism, i.e., otherness exis.ng outside of
social norms, reflec.ng Wright’s own black, queer, female, Caribbean-American iden.ty and
struggles with ques.oning and pushback. Wright challenges the tradi.onal portrayal of women
under the male gaze by taking back the narra.ve of the female gaze. Through her prac.ce,
Wright is commiFed to expanding the narra.ve of otherness to be more inclusive of everyday
lived experiences, invi.ng viewers to engage with her work in a way that challenges their
assump.ons and biases.

Wright lives and works in Miami, Florida.

 

Wait until they see this shit | 2023 | Acrylic, Oil, Spray, Graphite, Charcoal | Pastel 60 x 60

Artist Statement

I am interested in gaps and exclusions of representa#on. Scratching the surface referencing
these holes of this in-between within very crucial transi#onal states. My work is an
explora#on of making sense of the world focusing on moments that typically wouldn’t feel
important enough to leverage aNen#on in our day to day life. Drawing a parallel to how our
psyche interprets emo#ons & experiences, my prac#ce inves#gates exaggerated details and
embraces defects that stray from the classic ideology of American culture.

I choose materials and processes that mimic the act of mixing in a way that is untradi#onal
and very layered. Finding the celebra#on of these features to be welcoming and universally
relatable, building character in some sort of empathe#c and beau#ful way. The dialogue
throughout my work of drawing within the walls of pain#ng affects what concepts or
objects start to subconsciously repeat and converse.

Each process is individualized. There is so much history built up on the canvas within layers.
Much of the tone in my work is reliant on color as my figures do not tend to up-hold the
tradi#onal forms of beauty. I also reference New York City architecture and take many
colors from Caribbean neighborhoods, transit and cityscapes. Raw representa#ons and play
with elements of exaggera#on gives my work an overall aura of confidence that’s
confronta#onal and honest.

As I con#nue the rela#onship between architecture with pain#ng and drawing , my work
exists in its own powerful yet odd space between abstrac#on and formalism. It exposes
repe##on and movement over #me with forms. It takes a lot of pa#ence that some#mes
looks more on the unfinished side. The work itself seems to part of a non linear collec#ve.
My latest work fixates on pain#ngs of women from their own gaze or perspec#ve. Within
my actual approach, shining a light on everyday experiences that I feel aren’t commonly
adver#sed in the world of pain#ng from the perspec#ve of a women. Subject maNer
acknowledging the feeling of falling between the cracks in an unusually proud way.
Throughout many layers, mistakes inten#onally uncovered, including playful details as they
give us character and make us who we are. Domes#c spaces and moments that read as
mundane or banal, the emo#ons involved in these experiences are dynamic, my work
reflec#ng these same feelings and form. Titled “Swim” this series reinterprets a sense of
security and control in a way as they help to make things universally make sense.