Sculpting spirit and purpose
Sculpting spirit and purpose
Murjoni Merriweather sculpts clay busts that challenge the negative stereotypes of blackness.
Sculpting portraits in clay, Baltimore artist Murjoni Merriweather, 27, uses her art to unapologetically take up space, uplifting the Black community.
She writes in her artist statement,
“My work focuses on addressing and eliminating the negative stereotypes of blackness that still exist both inside and outside of the black community. From my perspective, this starts with erasing the European standards of beauty from blackness while also pushing and normalizing black culture. Our hair, our skin, or features are nothing to be ashamed of.
My work is for black people. It is created to display our innate beauty and to encourage us to be proud of who we are.”
Growing up, Merriweather was extremely creative and found her way to ceramics in eighth grade. Not too keen on using a wheel to throw pots, her teacher encouraged her to explore sculpting. She attended the Maryland Institute College of Art where she used her experiences and the people around her as inspiration in each sculpture.
Most of her sculptures have elongated necks, distinct features, and dark compelling eyes. Merriweather has created a few collections, “Grillz Collection” (2016), “Braided Collection” (2020), “Shinin’” (2021), and “Black” (2022).
“S E E M E” was the first in the “Grillz Collection.” Wanting to highlight teeth jewelry common in the Black community, the bust depicts a Black man pulling at either side of his mouth to expose his grill and gold tooth. Merriweather said in an interview with Allure in 2022, “I wanted him to fit the stereotype of a 'scary' Black man. He's pulling his teeth apart [because] I want you to focus on what's on his insides, rather judge him for his outside."
Since that collection in 2016, Merriweather has continued to grow in her work, experimenting with different sizes and surface textures. Incredibly active on social media, she has gathered large followings on Instagram (@mvrjoni) and TikTok (@mvrjoni).
In a video she posted to TikTok in November 2022, she lists a few things she has learned since becoming a full time artist:
Create work for yourself. Not everyone will like your work and that’s ok.
Financially plan ahead! Some months will be more or less lucrative than others.
Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is on their own journey.
Apply to artist residencies.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
You got this :)