Adrienne Elise Tarver

Adrienne Elise Tarver (b. 1985, USA; lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia and Brooklyn, New York) is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and cultural worker with a practice that spans painting, sculpture, installation, photography, textiles, and video. Her work addresses the complexity and invisibility of black female identity from the history within domestic spaces to the fantasy of the tropical seductress to the archetype of the all-knowing spiritual matriarch.

She is currently the Director of Programs at the National Academy of Design. Previously she was the Associate Chair of Fine Arts at SCAD Atlanta, and prior to that was the Director of Art & Design for the Harlem School of the Arts. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BFA from Boston University.

Manifesting Paradise: High Priestess, was part of Art on the Grid exhibition in 2020. The roster featured 50 artists from 18 countries. The artists were prompted to respond to the broad themes of reconnection and renewal, interpreted through their different perspectives and personal narratives. The resulting works draw on their experiences of New York City, its people, and places. They include reflections on moments of spontaneity, intimacy, isolation, loss, healing, and rebuilding, as well as aspirations to create a more just, inclusive, and equitable future.

“During this difficult year, I’ve reflected on my desire to know there is progress and beauty in the future. This woman is based on the High Priestess tarot card–generally about reflection, intuition, and things yet to be revealed. Beyond asking to just matter, the High Priestess knows of greater potential, ventures into unknown futures to discern the symbols and omens among us and decipher the messages that we need to hear in the present.”

http://www.adriennetarver.com/ | @adrienne__elise