“kin to red dirt on white carpets” is a reclamation of my humanity. 

Growing up as a girl in the southern United States, every part of me was conditioned to shrink. My body too wide, my emotions too deep, my voice too loud. Through this experience, I learned to question everything around me. 

Who does my slimming down,

numbing out, and shutting up 

benefit? 

Why am I 

asked to forgo my personhood 

to fit an ideal?

What are the consequences 

of being disembodied?

   of being embodied?

To what end 

does living a half-life serve 

when I am certain of a whole death?

This line of questioning led me to understand the varied systems of oppression that thrive on my dehumanization. The question of my sex and race thickened the humid air around me. The lies about who I am and how I am supposed to act as a southern black girl were meant to drown me. To survive, I challenged the brand of misogyny and anti-blackness widely taught and unquestionably believed in the South. Due to the fragility of sexist and racist ideology, provision and protection ran dry once I moved away from passively engaging with the world around me and into actively seeking what was true and correct. I found the truth in my mother’s hips and the correct line in the life of freedom fighters in the U.S. and Global South. I began to see the individual moments in my life where I was othered and neglected as evidence of a common enemy and connections to a collective struggle for freedom and liberation. Resisting indignity is where I recovered parts of my humanity lost to contortion and conformity. Through resistance, I discovered a light in the world and myself worth fighting for and protecting.

“kin to red dirt on white carpets” shows us that we impact our space as much as our space impacts us. Embarking on the reclamation process required full embodiment to see myself and the world. Utilizing relief printmaking, “kin to red dirt on white carpets” is an exhibition that encourages intuitive understanding and provides a framework for the reclamation process. With this understanding, we envision a way forward, certain that what we want and need is core to fulfilling a dignified life.

Jasmine Nicole Williams is a Black American visual artist and organizer from Atlanta, GA. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Art in Printmaking from the University of West Georgia in 2017. Her work explores her experience as a southern Black woman through printmaking and murals to inspire people to dive deeper into their humanity. 

Influenced by the work of artists like Elizabeth Catlett and Emory Douglas, Jasmine believes in the transformative power of portraiture, print, and public art. She understands the role of art and the need for art to be accessible to the people as a tool to advance the working-class struggle. With a deep interest in craft and process, Jasmine’s work reflects and relates to everyday people and injects them with optimism toward the future. 

Since receiving her BFA, Jasmine showcased at Prizm Art Fair, Perez Museum Miami, ZuCot Gallery, Eyedrum, MINT Gallery, and Echo Contemporary. She received residencies from Hambidge, Midtown Alliance, and The People’s Forum. Jasmine also won grants from RedBull, Sprite, WISH ATL, and Dream Warriors Foundation, and fellowships from Living Walls ATL, Southern Graphics Council International, and TILA Studios. She has worked with [adult swim], Dashboard, and Nike. Jasmine is the 2024 recipient of the Emory Arts and Social Justice Fellowship.

Jasmine continues her practice in Atlanta, GA.