ARTIST STATEMENT
Channeled Feminine emerges as a series of self-portraits that interrogate my desire to liberate myself from the fear of seeing myself through the lens of truth. The work examines the challenges of confronting my identity, shaped by both historical and contemporary contexts in the wake of the Transatlantic slave trade. Through my practice, I engage in self-interrogation, reflecting on the complexities of Black femme identity formation. Drawing on feminist theory, I challenge societal and media influences that often dictate self-perception. I seek to own my narrative, visualize, and liberate myself from the external impositions on Black womanhood. This liberation is paradoxical—acknowledging the difficulty of fully escaping external structures while embracing the ongoing journey of resistance.
The desire to exist outside limiting frameworks related to gender performance, racial performativity, or cultural expectations—is a central theme of my work. The visual exploration integrates AI and various photographic editing methods to highlight the manipulations I experience as a Black femme when seeking validation from external sources. Reflecting how Black women, in particular, are often subjected to hypervisibility and distortion, as seen in our representations within the visual canon. Speaking to the legacy of slavery, where owning one’s image was not only denied but made illegal. Dealing with the subsequent desire for self-ownership and the fear of being perceived as a casualty of capitalist systems that commodify the Black female. This reflects the inherent contradictions: attempting to maintain social capital within an exploitative system, while fearing the erasure or distortion of my true self.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jayla Trenyce is a final-year B.F.A student at Northern Illinois University, born and raised in Chicago, IL, and the near south suburbs. Professionally, she is also a Programming and Social Media Assistant at the South Side Community Art Center, where she supports Black community arts administration. Trenyce has contributed to projects like Belonging in S.T.E.A.M. (2024), a collaborative initiative empowering people of color and women in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics fields through authentic representation. In 2021, she was awarded Best of Show at the Illinois Northern Regional Art Exhibition, showcasing her innovative approach to the arts. In addition to her academic and professional work, Trenyce has made significant strides in leadership and community engagement. In 2025 she hosted the First Black Student Art Exhibition at Northern Illinois University under her LLC Kindred Noir, which welcomed Black student 2D artists and awarded cash prizes to the top three winners. This exhibition was funded by Kindred Noir’s first annual Back-to-School Art Supply Drive & Fundraiser, which provided essential art supplies to two local Chicago public schools for the 2024-2025 school year. Trenyce’s work draws on themes of spirituality, femininity, identity, and familial legacy. Her photography explores the nuances of Black womanhood, blending vulnerability with strength. By combining portraiture and still life, her work reclaims agency and opens dialogue on the power of visual representation in shaping identity.
© Jayla Trenyce