Felicia Greenlee

Felicia Greenlee was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until the age of eight. Her family, originating from South Carolina, would move back south in 1979. Felicia would receive recognition for her artistic talent throughout her school years and after graduating high school received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Clemson University in 1993 concentrating her studies in painting and drawing.

After graduating from Clemson University, Felicia began working as a textile designer and later started her own home décor line. In an effort to expand her home décor line, she entered a licensing agreement with a textile company in 2003. She would license her artwork in other markets and eventually walked away from the textile industry. No longer focusing her energies on textiles, Felicia began to devote more time to her newfound love of working with wood.

Today, Felicia devotes her time to creating her “wood collages”. She finds it challenging to find exhibition opportunities not relating to Juneteenth and Black History Month. No matter the circumstances, Felicia will continue to do what she loves, creating art that invokes social change.

The intent of my work is to invoke social change by sharing how I see America. As a black woman, I know disparities exist in our society because I have felt it throughout my life. Growing up as a young girl, I never experienced black art in museums and galleries; so, in my work, I felt compelled to challenge how society views Black America and how we see ourselves. I transformed the simple idea of storytelling into what I call, “wood collage”. I create layers of imagery with wood to engage the viewer to not just glance but to ponder over my pieces. The use of the chain is a reminder of our past and the sacrifice of our ancestors.

SC

United States