Meridian Negilski

Lives and works in Boise, ID, USA

Artist statement

My work is an evolving expression of my ongoing exploration of identity, heritage, and ancestral lineage that manifests as personal practice to spark new conversations about traditional art, and art in general. It has been informed by and developed from my graduate research on collaborative dance-making as ritual for individual growth and collective healing, and has evolved into visual representations of African cosmology and spiritual healing subjects. I am investigating how the relationship between the trinity of science, art, and spirituality informs the story of our human experience, and my pieces are the physical results of that work. Currently, I am specifically working from the perspective of the worldview expressed by the Fon and Yoruba ethnic groups in Southern Benin and Nigeria. Inspired by my own “activations” of ancestral wisdom and remembered experiences, I consider my work to be a communion with Spirit enacted through experimentation, practical action, ritual, and tradition. Because my artistry is developed from a foundation of traditional art, my use of cowrie shells and African fabric seeks to highlight those traditional materials in a way that re-imagines how they are used while also bringing attention to their historical cultural significance and value.

Artwork