Ashley January

Lives and works in Chicago, IL, USA

Artist statement

I address the Black maternal mortality and morbidity crisis in America through painting and multimedia. Influenced by my own traumatic pregnancy and survival, the imagery centers the experiences of Black mothers, birthing people, and children who have suffered adverse birth outcomes. Through often imagined spaces reflecting memory and time, mined from narrative recounts and photographic documentation, the figures demonstrate how they cope. Notions around the active choice of healing and finding joy surface while simultaneously challenging the institutional modes in finding systemic solutions. Confronting themes through quiet, often heavy motifs, the environments articulate the imposed health effects disproportionately experienced. All familial perspectives are considered after a tangential birth trauma survival. Continuing the delicately layered conversations surrounding Black maternal health, the images serve as a global call to action for more awareness, research, and the eradication of preventable maternal and infant loss.

Artwork