A F R O C H I C K M A G A Z I N E | Vol. 1 (December 2013) | Page 22

A F R O C H I C K | M A G A Z I N E 22

AFROCHICK BLOGGERSPHERE INTERVIEW
Artist. Writer. Educator. Model.
Jasmin Vann

When did you start your art career?
I remember mimicking Walt Disney princesses when I was ten years old on notebook paper and
later a sketch pad, while living on a military base in Japan. I recently found a collage of artwork
from that same time frame.
What themes do you pursue?
Positive images are extremely important to me, as I connect them to my thesis and one day my
dissertation. The construction of black beauty is the basis of my research interest. This coupled
with my push for positive images and messages about black women provokes me to create
affirming images. Anything that empowers or encourages strikes my fancy.
Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
I taught an English Composition course, while in graduate school. I incorporated an ongoing
semester discussion about images of black women in music videos based on a series in
"Essence." That coupled with reading Karrine Steffans tell-all book solidified my desire to create
and hopefully perpetuate positive images to balance the negative or prevailing images in pop
culture.
What role does the African American artist have in society?
The African American artist is the beacon voice that keeps our story alive; s/he keeps our story
truthful and relevant.