Tschabalala Self

Heroine No. 2

In Heroine No. 2, a female figure stands in the Virabhadrasana II, or Warrior II, yoga pose.The body, constructed with fabric, is surrounded by a pattern of vivid flowers, creating a connection between the woman’s unmovable strength and femininity. By using motifs and materials typically associated with femininity, Hudson Valley-based artist Tschabalala Self casts the Black female body as a powerful protagonist in her work. Crafting such narratives is her artistic priority, as she explores the backgrounds of her canvases as “liminal spaces,” in which Black women can transcend their restrictive social spaces and stereotypes.