Jessi Ujazi
CREATOR OF THE AFRO TAROT
Jessi Ujazi is a Los Angeles based artist known for creating captivating, spirited portrayals of Black existence, realized through collage and painting. Her upbringing in Memphis, Tennessee and familial roots in Greenwood, Mississippi, the cotton capital of the world, lend her a unique, contemplative perspective of Blackness in a global context. Jessi Ujazi’s process involves deep research into African history and is informed by her own personal experiences and intuition.
Uniquely referential, her work speaks a personal visual language that draws parallels between African history, pop culture, and the postmodern Black experience. With an unwavering sense of duty to explore and amplify the narratives of Black folks, Ujazi’s collages and paintings are visual memoirs that inspire viewers to contemplate the lives, legacies, and futures of the people depicted. Her multilayered work is a synthesis imagination, history, and spirituality, and echoes an intimate, meditative journey of self-discovery. Ujazi means “abundance” in Swahili.