Artist Statement

As an Artist and Musician who is not afraid to use their voice as an instrument, my work speaks not only for me but for those who do not have the same freedom. I aim to inspire those who have been oppressed to practice self love, utilize their voices and trust in their vision.

My most recognized body of work is emotionally charged and often juxtaposed against geometric based backgrounds. My color palettes are bold and bright although the contrast of “black and white” is referenced throughout various works. Linear patterns bounce throughout my work threading together both past and present day themes of hyphenated American culture, while exploring concepts of self-reflection and social commentaries particularly in response to inequalities and injustices.

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Artist Biography

D’nae Harrison is an Award-winning Interdisciplinary Artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2014, she obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University. In 2017, the City of Philadelphia commissioned D'nae to create a 52 in x 52 in oil painting, which remains downtown on permanent display. During the same year, her work featured with Six Summit Gallery for NYFW '17 (Fall). In 2018, her work showcased at the former Robert Miller Gallery in Chelsea, Manhattan during the Eminent Domain exhibition. In 2020, her notable “Shaded Oppression” painting received the 2020 Future Art Award conferred by MOZAIK Philanthropy located in Beverly Hills, CA. Recently, Harrison’s “Save The Date” mural featured on various news outlets such as WHYY, NBC10, CBS3, Yahoo News, and The Philadelphia Tribune in efforts to raise voting awareness during the To The Polls 2020 project in LOVE Park. D’nae is currently focused on creating a public art initiative dedicated to improving the quality of life in distressed and impoverished neighborhoods.

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Education

2014
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
BFA, Art

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Awards & Honors

2020
2020 Future Art Awards, Beverly Hills, CA
Top 10 Finalist, conferred by MOZAIK Philanthropy

2018
18th Annual National Arts Program Exhibition, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Best of Show Award, conferred by Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia

18th Annual National Arts Program Exhibition, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Honorable Mention Award, conferred by Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia

2016
Philadelphia '76ers Mentoring Art Contest/Exhibition, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
First Place Award, conferred by Allen Iverson, NBA Hall of Famer

2015
15th Annual National Arts Program Exhibition, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Third Place Award, conferred by Michael Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia

Exhibitions

2020
To The Polls 2020, LOVE Park, Philadelphia, PA

ART4EQUALITY, LIFE, LIBERTY & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, The Untitled Space, Tribeca, NY

Women's Caucus for Art, Philadelphia BLM Virtual Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA

MOZAIK Future Art Awards Virtual Exhibition, Beverly Hills, CA

2018
18th Annual National Arts Program Exhibition, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA

Eminent Domain, Robert Miller Gallery, Chelsea, NY

2017
17th Annual Mayor's Centenarian Celebration, Sugarhouse Casino, Philadelphia, PA
Featured Visual Artist

COLD PIZZA: A Rolling Pop Up Exhibition, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia Creatives For Change Present: Not My President, Still Our Country, A Poet Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Art Hearts Fashion New York Fashion Week, Angel Orensanz Center, New York, NY

2016
Philadelphia '76ers Mentoring Art Contest/Exhibition, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

17th Annual National Arts Program Exhibition, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA

2015
15th Annual National Arts Program Exhibition, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA