e c a p S g n i Makto e v i r h T A+C ILLUSTRATION
ion t a t n e s e r p e s r e y n o Radical R C a n ia T f o t r A e in th
Story by Patrick Mainelli Photography by Bill Sitzmann Design by Derek Joy
Omaha artist Tiana Conyers believes there is something radical in creating space for all voices. “Black people have dealt with blatant systemic racism, police brutality, and other things far more egregious. For us to be able to celebrate ourselves and make space for ourselves—not only is that our right, but that should be invited and accepted, at the very least for ourselves.” Conyers’ work, digital illustrations primarily, is a bold assertion of the power in representation. Her graphic figures—Black, queer, fat (a term she specifically embraces)—occupy visual space in an art world conditioned through centuries of Western art history to appreciate a specific definition of Anglocentric beauty. “To me, it’s just really amazing and inspiring—taking this space back for Black people. This space that wasn’t created for us, and was so often created against us,” she said. Conyers has achieved a prolific career as a young artist in Omaha. Steeped in the // 20 //
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cultures of Manga, anime, and internet fan communities from a young age, Conyers’ digital style has evolved in harmony with the growth of social media. “I started drawing very young and in order for me to get my work seen, the only option was the internet,” she said. “There was no art gallery that would have been interested in me—some 13-year-old at Monroe Middle School.” Today, Conyers describes her work as “depicting fat bodies which, in EuroAmerican societies, are often deemed unworthy of respect and rarely make the subject of art.” Conyers’ bristles at the now-common phrase “body-positivity,” feeling that the movement has been largely co-opted by advocates with less-than sincere motives. Instead, she prefers the more radical phrase “fat liberation.” “This has definitely stemmed from me not being represented and wanting to see myself...in art and different spaces,” she said. “I’m not seeing people like [me]—not
seeing fat Black people, or queer Black people. When I was younger...I definitely avoided myself as a subject matter. I felt like ‘I don’t fit in here; I don’t exist in these spaces so why even try?’ But now...I want to see myself more. I deserve to. Other people do, too.” Conyers’ work made a dramatic appearance in a new venue in the summer of 2020. Her “We Thrive in Middle Spaces” project—produced through the support of The Union for Contemporary Art and the Omaha Community Foundation—brought her work to five billboards across North Omaha. The billboards featured portraits of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) people of color from Omaha. In her artist statement, Conyers noted, “Middle spaces refer to the parts of our identities that overlap. My identity as a Black person and my identity as a queer person overlap—or more specifically, intersect—and better define my experience.”
