Billie-James
Irene Antonia Diane Reece

Billie-James is a photographic series displaying the artist’s experience being Black in the world she grew up in versus the experience of her father. Reece, born and raised in the South of the United States with a father that was brought up during the Civil Rights Movement, has created a linkage from her childhood upbringing to his. The reasoning behind the display of family archives, word art, and contemporary installations is to create a parallel between the artist’s father’s life and her own. While one’s life tells the story of a Black boy growing up in America during the 1950s and the other the story of a biracial, half Black half Mexican girl in the 1990s, what permeates the narratives is that nothing has changed regarding discrimination and racism.

While creating multidisciplinary imagery of the black image through forms of visual activism, Reece’s stance of injustice towards Black bodies, police brutality, colorism and colorblindness are showcased throughout the work. Reece wants to eliminate the sole narrative and negative perception of the Black individual. Her family lineage has been displayed by incorporating family portraits, racial conflicts, and acknowledging the beauty of her BLACKNESS to give different spectrums of the black image.

Ummm Still Racist & Je ne joue pas Inkjet prints, 2018

Curls For Days & Four Comforts Iinkjet prints, 2018

Democracy Inkjet print, 2018 — *Democracy*
Inkjet print, 2018

The essence of Colby in my hood. Silver gelatin print, 2019

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jag & Where the Story Begins and Ends Inkjet prints, 2019

A Black Mother’s Love Inkjet print, 2018

Aunt Yogie, Why Did You Have To Go? Inkjet print, 2019

KIN Inkjet print with dried flowers, 2019

Granny and Bean Silver gelatin print, 2019

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Irene Antonia Diane Reece

Irene Antonia Diane Reece graduated with her B.F.A (2018) in Photography and Digital Media at the University of Houston and M.F.A (2020) at Paris College of Art in Photography and Image-making. She exhibited a solo exhibition in 2017 at Lawndale Art Center in Houston, TX; in collective 2020 XicanX: New Visions curated by Dos Mestizx (Suzy González and Michael Menchaca) at Centro de Artes in San Antonio, Texas. She’s currently exhibiting work for a collective exhibition in 2019-2020 in Paris, Barcelona, Utrecht and exhibiting in collective “Souls of a Perseverant Generation,” at the Community Artists’ Collective in Houston, Texas. Her series Billie-James will be exhibited at the 5th Biennale Internationale de Casablanca in 2021.

Her array of photographic works, appropriated films, usage of text, and found objects create an insight towards issues that revolve around racial identity, African diaspora, social injustice, family histories, mental and community health issues. She identifies as a contemporary artist and visual activist.

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Billie-JamesIrene Antonia Diane Reece

ABOUT THE ARTISTIrene Antonia Diane Reece

View all Forecast 2020 Artists →

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Billie-James
Irene Antonia Diane Reece

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Irene Antonia Diane Reece

We would like to thank the following foundations and agencies for their generous support

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use