ARTIST STATEMENT
These two works-on-paper are from Denise Weaver Ross’s “Postcards to America” series. In this ongoing body of work, Denise reimagines the classic American postcard—symbols of nostalgia and national pride—by layering them with imagery that confronts deeper, often unsettling truths. This visual contrast exposes the gap between America’s idealized image and the complex realities that underlie it. Denise aims to create a piece for each of the 50 U.S. states, with each “postcard” highlighting a specific crisis, systemic issue, or historical reckoning. From racial injustice and mass incarceration to environmental collapse and political unrest, the series invites viewers to reflect on the nation’s contradictions. In “ALABAMA: Sweat Shop,” Denise spotlights the controversial practice of prison labor, where incarcerated individuals work for little or no pay—echoing exploitative labor systems of the past. “OHIO: The Hurt of it All” explores the ongoing consequences of that state’s social, environmental, and political struggles. Postcards to America is a visually layered series that fuses nostalgia with critique. Rather than condemning the nation, this work seeks to deepen our understanding of its dual nature—its beauty and its brokenness—challenging us to look beyond the surface and discover its reality.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Denise Weaver Ross is a multidisciplinary artist, muralist, illustrator, and poet based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her vibrant and layered work blends mythological, natural, cultural, and historical themes to create powerful visual narratives. She has completed eight large-scale murals in the Albuquerque area, and her artwork and poetry have been published in both national and international anthologies. Denise is known for fusing diverse elements into cohesive, thought-provoking compositions. Her major series include House of Cards, Legendary Creatures, Art of the I Ching, and her ongoing project, Postcards to America. In House of Cards, she reinterprets a deck of 56 cards as large-format artworks—transforming spades into fossils, diamonds into constellations, clubs into trees, and hearts into symbolic expressions of human experience. Legendary Creatures explores mythical beings from A to Z, while Art of the I Ching pairs the ancient Chinese divination system with symbolic imagery. Postcards to America critiques systemic injustices by overlaying idealized postcard visuals with images drawn from social, environmental, and political realities across all 50 U.S. states. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and raised in Wisconsin, Denise discovered her passion for art at age eight during a visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum. She later earned her MFA in Printmaking from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In addition to her visual work, Denise is an accomplished poet with five published books that integrate her writing and art. Her work has been widely exhibited and continues to engage viewers through its beauty, symbolism, and layered meaning.
© Denise Weaver Ross