Artist Bio

Daphne Burgess was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. Since graduating from UC Davis in 1996, she has combined her passion for art with a commitment to building community. Burgess is dedicated to expanding access to experiences that foster interaction and learning. She believes that art plays a purposeful role in developing individuals and communities by fostering relationships that transform spaces, promote advocacy, and encourage cross-sector partnerships.

Since moving to Alabama in 2019 and opening Gallery 157 in 2020, she has focused on her artistic growth while continuing to promote equitable access to art, culture, and history. Burgess currently serves as a consultant to the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, supporting youth program development, art education, and creative placemaking.

Her work spans more than 25 years as an artist, art educator, and community organizer. As a professional fine artist, she primarily creates paintings, sculptures, ceramics, mixed media, and installations. Her work ranges from musical pieces with bold colors and abstract figures to scenes of everyday Black life to installations that address societal, political, and personal narratives. Burgess’ recent work draws on her time in the South, highlighting Black culture through a mix of materials and cultural artifacts that reveal connections to people and places of the past and demonstrate how those relationships continue to influence the present.

Artist Statement

I am an interdisciplinary artist working in two-dimensional media (painting, drawing, mixed media) as well as sculpture, assemblage, and installations. As I move through different phases of life, my work evolves. My environment significantly influences how I approach subject matter and materials. I believe that art plays an intentional role in the development of both people and communities by fostering relationships that encourage conversation, transforming spaces, promoting advocacy, and visually conveying impactful stories.

Art Title

This piece, titled “Tune Up,” depicts a reclining woman, represented by a personified bass instrument, in a state of relaxation. My goal was to capture an experience, specifically a Black woman’s experience – a fully reclined, self-care moment and a calm state of reflection that often eludes us as Black women, the members of marginalized groups – being Black and female. This intersectionality is on full display as she lies on her bed, tuning up yet appearing at rest. I address these identities through personification because I believe a person’s personality and character can be conveyed without the use of representational images. I challenge the viewer to explore that same idea by imagining themselves in active stillness. Though the painting is not a self-portrait or a literal depiction of another Black female figure, I still refer to the instrument as a Black woman; the narrative about individuality and identity without seeing a “face.” She is in the moment, unbothered by the Eurocentric gaze, male sexualization, or judgment for taking time for herself as she lies on layers of bedding, reminiscent of fabrics seen in other reclining-figure paintings. This is my vision of a better world – where Black women can be comfortable just being themselves.

The consistent presence of reclining figures throughout art history is intentional, serving storytelling purposes, and their poses add layers of meaning. As status symbols, these images can express entitlement or power, often seen in artwork showcasing wealth; in ancient works, reclining figures often represent a deity, with the pose lending itself to a divine environment surrounding them; Renaissance figures highlight the contrast between action and stillness; and modern works engage the viewer in exploring their own sense of being. That level of engagement is what I aim to capture in my work as well.