ESSENCE

🎨 “ESSENCE” – 16x20 Acrylic on Canvas

Named by my cousin/sister and gifted author, S. Renee Zachary, “ESSENCE” is more than a painting…it’s a spiritual reflection of melanated, Indigenous womanhood.

Born from a once abandoned acrylic pour, this piece speaks to the struggle between how we are seen and how we want to be seen. The three women, in rich tones of blue, represent our spiritual selves across shades of melanin: dark, medium, and light.

Their eyes are closed in silent prayer, yearning to be seen beyond the curves, the trends, the expectations.
The lack of arms symbolizes their spirit form (their essence) not what the world demands of their bodies.
The flowing aura around them represents the power they carry, often forgotten or hidden, now rising into awareness.

As a melanated woman myself, this piece is deeply personal. It’s a reclaiming. A remembering.

“ESSENCE” is for every woman who has ever questioned her worth….and is now remembering her power.