Hi, my name is Taira Rice and I’m a self-taught artist from Harlem, New York City.
I have been drawing for the majority of my life and have always been inspired by the people in my community, family & friends, comic books, and Hip-Hop/RnB music. I love to go on Tumblr and collect vintage images of artists, models, and actresses for inspiration and references. I am aesthetically attracted to a lot of 90’s and early 2000’s fashion, design and architecture which helps me create the clothes, objects and spaces that my characters possess and inhabit.
Growing up in Harlem greatly influenced my personal style and the way I see the world. Everyone here is so lively, artistic, unapologetic and can dress their asses off.
Through my art I aim to speak on the topics of intimacy, confidence, and duality within the context of being a Black Woman. I challenge the flattened representation of Black Woman that is all too common in popular media. I examine our different ways of being, complexity, flaws, and sexuality. I depict us with rawness and honesty, in order to honor the many ways that we are beautiful. I want to give Black Women a place to see ourselves and connect with characters that mirror us and beyond.