Yumpu_Catalogue_Peacemaking

Nina Buxenbaum grew up in the Crown Heights
area of Brooklyn, NY. She received her MFA
degree in Painting from the Maryland Institute
College of Art and her BFA from Washington
University in St. Louis in Drawing and Printmaking.
Her work has been included in several
exhibitions including the Studio Museum of
Harlem (NYC, NY), The Slater Museum (Norwich,
CT), The Painting Center (NYC, NY), the
Ingalls Gallery (Miami, FL), Rush Arts (NYC,
NY), including a solo show at The Stella Jones
Gallery (New Orleans, LA). She is currently
represented by Galerie Myrtis (Baltimore, MD).
Her work has been reviewed in the International
Review of African American Art. She is
a member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists in
New Canaan, CT. She is an Associate Professor
at York College, CUNY, in Jamaica, NY, and
Coordinator of the Fine Arts Discipline in the
Department of Performing and Fine Arts. She
maintains and active studio practice in
Brooklyn, NY and Bethel, CT.
“I began my work as an exploration of images
of African American women in our society. We
judge a culture and a civilization by the
images and art objects that they create. I
have always focused on creating honest and
personal depictions of women, particularly
women of color, as a means to provide an
alternative to the stereotypes prevalent in
our culture.
Nina Buxenbaum
I use the “Topsy-Turvy doll” as a metaphor of
black women and the way we learn to define
ourselves. The doll, whose name is derived
from the character of Topsy in the Harriet
Beecher Stowe novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, is
designed to look like a southern belle on one
side, but her dress conceals a black girl
underneath. These dueling images deal with
some of the complexities of identity that go
beyond race.”
Cousins: Buxenbaum/Engst
Oil on linen | 122 x 91 cm | 2017
Nina I. Buxenbaum | April 2018
www.ninabuxenbaum.com