Artist Bio

Jayla Poe is a painter from Birmingham, Alabama, and a graduate of Alabama State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her work centers women of color and blends surrealist elements with bold color and symbolism to explore identity, emotion, and personal experience.

Artist Statement

My work focuses on women of color and the emotional and personal experiences tied to identity, softness, strength, and self-reflection. Through painting, I create surreal and dreamlike spaces that combine symbolism, color, and emotion to tell stories that feel both personal and familiar. I am inspired by everyday experiences, inner thoughts, and the beauty found in vulnerability. My goal is to create work that encourages viewers to look deeper, connect emotionally, and see Black womanhood beyond surface-level representation.

Art Title

My submitted work, Rooted Reflections, features a young woman with flowers growing from her face, representing transformation, healing, and growth. To me she is a symbol for a better world, showing how beauty can come through change and vulnerability. The flowers symbolize renewal, while the hidden serpent and sword in her jewelry represent protection, wisdom, and strength. Together, they reflect the balance of softness and power.

Through this piece, I aim to show women of color as layered, emotional, and deeply human beyond stereotypes. The surreal style creates a dreamlike space where she can simply exist and be fully seen.

I also understand that the period of Enlightenment art often reflected colonialism and Eurocentric ideals that excluded or misrepresented Black people. My work challenges that by centering a Black woman as beautiful, powerful, and worthy of deep attention and respect.