Collage - Ja’Deana Cognetta-Whitfield

Opposite Pairs, 2021.
Mixed media collage, 11x17in

They reside in the spaces that society said they weren’t allowed in.
Frowned upon and cast out by their own community
Some call it bravery, others call it foolishness- but to them it’s just authenticity.

Some may discover it sooner than later, others won’t ever see the day, due to the fear that comes with it.

This raw authenticity is nothing new, it has existed-
it is the results of trailblazers and trendsetters who created their own sanctuaries.

The ones who threw the bricks and who marched in order for the next generation to run; because life is no cake walk when you stick out like a sore thumb.

But at least you’ll get to live life the way you once dreamed.

Gotta Find Peace of Mind , 2021. Mixed media collage.

Finding peace of mind on this journey we call life.
What we let in, must be let go.
Transcending, releasing, reflecting and resting.
Ancestors always there protecting,
Giving you strength, and lifting you up to prosper.

Mother Nature, God, is A Black Woman, 2022, 13x19 in.

The Prince Who Became Our Sun, 2022.
Mixed media collage

Before you came, darkness so often ruled- like an eclipse during the storm.
There was a missing piece, but then you came like a sweet wind brushing upon our faces that September day .
You rule our world, you’re our sun, the first born named Khalid- you truly will live on for eternity.

My dearest nephew, youre loved to the moon and back.

Free Sistas, 2021, 8x10 in.

Free Sistas, 2021, 7x5 in.

Free Sistas, 2021, 11x 8.5 in.

A Lost Ancestor, 2021.
Collage, 8.5x11 in.

Thinking of a time where I am no longer.
Just a orb of sparkling light,
Or a spirit existing through time.
Will somebody remember to call on me during troubling times?
Would there be a place for me at the altar with the kin?
Giving offerings for my guidance and support,
lending my helping hand through the realms.
Would I be important enough to form in their thoughts?
Or would I be forgotten, lost amongst the stars.