In Celebration of Excellence and The Ordinary

Ebony pushes for an impossible image of Black respectability. Instead of Black people failing to achieve this goal something else happens, like magic through the queering of western standards an alternate vein of success is created and a new standard comes to light. My work speaks to the greatness of this Black Excellence but also questions whether this standard seen in the pages of Ebony is also creating a new hurdle that is impossible to jump over. By this Excellence becoming an expectation of not just Black success but often survival we take on a burden that rarely allows us rest, and the generosity of just being basic people who can be wonderfully ordinary.


Surf and Turf, September 2022, 16x20 inches, Gouache, collage, acrylic,and gold leaf and vintage charms on wood panel
Date with a Dish, 2023, 16x20 inches, Acrylic, collage and gold leaf
Sashaying into Summer, 2022, 11x14 inches, Gouache, collage, acrylic, and vintage charms
A Brave Little Beginning, 18x24 inches, Acrylic, vinyl and gold leaf on wooden panel
Color It Black, Baby, But By All Means Color It, 2023, 18x24 inches, Acrylic, vinyl and gold leaf on wooden panel
Chance Encounters, 2020, Gouache, collage, acrylic, and gold leaf on wood panel, 11 x 14 inches
Avon Calling, 2020, Gouache, collage, acrylic, and gold leaf on wood panel, 11 x 14 inches
Tennis Stars, 2020, Gouache collage, acrylic, and gold leaf on wood panel, 11 x 14 inches
Scenes of Importance, 2020, Gouache, collage, acrylic, and gold leaf on wood panel, 11 x 14 inches
Pool parties are a Popular Pastime, 2020, Gouache, collage, acrylic, and gold leaf on wood panel, 11 x 14 inches
Sheila, Linda, and Crystal, 2020, Collage, acrylic, and gold leaf on wood panel, 11 x 14 inches
©Dana Robinson | Brooklyn, NY