Bodies of Water: Black Geographies and Maternal Legacies
Debra Cartwright’s Bodies of Water explores Black geographies and maternal histories through fluid, ethereal paintings that examine migration, selfhood, and ancestral resilience. Inspired by J.T. Roane’s concept of "Black radical spatial ecology," Cartwright reflects on how waterways in Virginia—where her maternal lineage originates—served as sites of survival, healing, and passage. Through layered washes of watercolor and intimate compositions, she traces connections between past and present, honoring the narratives of Black women across generations. Welancora Gallery at 33 Herkimer Street
Brooklyn, New York 11216. Runs through March 20, 2025
This exhibition will take place at the Welancora Gallery at 33 Herkimer Street
Brooklyn, New York 11216. Runs through March 20, 2025
Exhibition Description
In Bodies of Water: Black Geographies and Maternal Legacies, Debra Cartwright employs fluidity as both a visual and conceptual tool, weaving together themes of migration, birth, and caregiving. Her delicate yet powerful paintings depict Black female figures emerging from and dissolving into translucent waterscapes, symbolizing the movement of memory and heritage across time. Through archival research and personal reflections, Cartwright examines the waterways of Virginia as both physical landscapes and historical markers of Black survival. By embracing watercolor’s ephemeral qualities, her work embodies the ever-shifting boundaries of identity and place, reinforcing the resilience of Black maternal legacies.
Gallery
