Reimagining Benoist

Lady Liberated and Reimagining Benoist are a response to Marie-Guillemine Benoistâs Portrait of Madeleine which was created at the time of slave independence of which I found ironic given the fact that the subject was depicted in a vulnerable manner. The fact that the subject was captured naked perpetuates the exoticisms of black bodies in mainstream art. Therefore me recreating Benoistâs iconic piece and utilizing myself as the subject is my way of reclaiming the power that has been taken away from black women and women depicted in mainstream art.