Joyce J. Scott

Joyce J. Scott (born September 25, 1948, Baltimore, MD) is an American multidisciplinary artist whose work confronts race, gender, sexuality, violence, and power through sculpture, performance, installation, and craft-based practices. Best known for her virtuosic use of beadwork, Scott transforms traditionally feminized and decorative materials into politically charged forms—figures, garments, and objects that are simultaneously seductive and confrontational. Drawing from African diasporic traditions, humor, satire, and personal narrative, her practice challenges social taboos and exposes systemic injustice while insisting on pleasure, resilience, and agency. Scott’s work has been exhibited internationally and is held in major museum collections.