Mixed media bleed print employing a portrait hand-drawn by the artist on a ball grained plate, a collagraph plate made from an antique christening dress collected by the artist, a one-color background from a photolithography plate made with a drawing by the artist, and hand-stitching applied by the artist.

Copyright %C2%A9 Delita Martin%2C published by Highpoint Editions

Keepsakes: Delita, 2021

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Delita Martin is a Houston-based figurative artist who often blends diverse media and techniques to create visually potent images of women of color as icons of strength and community. Inspired by oral traditions as well as vintage and family photographs, Martin attempts to capture the spirit of her subjects—mainly friends and family members—and tell their individual and collective stories. Martin’s portraits and figurative scenes honor African American women and present positive images of Black identity through individualized narrative content that also provides a contextual connection to her subjects’ personal experiences.

For her suite “Keepsakes,” Martin drew black-and-white lithographic portraits of several close friends and family members (and herself) based on photographs of them as children. Each portrait was then combined with an image printed directly from an antique christening dress collected by the artist and prepared as a collagraph printing matrix. To further individualize the portraits, each print features a distinctive background design and geometric pattern of hand-stitched thread. Part tribute, part memento, the “Keepsakes” prints are each titled with the name of the individual portrayed. Martin’s portraits are both personal and universal, honoring a lifetime of friendship, connection, and community.

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Details
Title
Keepsakes: Delita
Artist Life
born 1972
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2021.105.1.2
Provenance
Highpoint Editions, Minneapolis (publisher); sold to Mia, 2021.
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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Mixed media bleed print employing a portrait hand-drawn by the artist on a ball grained plate, a collagraph plate made from an antique christening dress collected by the artist, a one-color background from a photolithography plate made with a drawing by the artist, and hand-stitching applied by the artist.

Copyright © Delita Martin, published by Highpoint Editions