Rhyse

RHYSE ( pronounced rise) a 9x12” hand carved linoleum block print made on 11x14” Stonehenge paper in the color Kraft in Black oil-based ink with a hand-painted golden halo. RHYSE features a Black woman with a detailed "koroba" style braid design in her hair. Koroba braids trace their origins back to the Yoruba Tribe of Nigeria, West Africa, where they have been a part of traditional hairstyling for centuries. In the Yoruba language, 'Koroba' translates to 'Calabash/Basket,' and this hairstyle emulates the shape of an inverted calabash, beginning at the crown of the head and extending down the sides. Braids with swirl variation added to the ends is called 'Kipetaka' and the style originates from Madagascar, an island country in southeastern Africa. Several adaptations involve integrating beads, shells, or vibrant threads, rendering each 'Kipetaka' a unique and personalized masterpiece.

To be a Black Woman in the US is to be forced to rise beyond expectations and into oneself constantly. Rise to the standard of womanhood, rise beyond harmful stereotypes, rise through the depths of oppression, and rise beyond greatness.  In a world where we are constantly scrutinized, challenged, and ridiculed our power as Black femmes is political and so much of that lies within our hair. Our hair allows us to explore mountains of self-expression, reconnect to our childhood selves, and evoke the simplest of pleasures like flowers when we move our body, cook /eat our favorite foods, soak up the sun, embrace our full Black femme beings… we embody Black girl JOY .

RHYSE is the sister print to JOY (available here)

*Please note that due to the nature of hand-carved linoleum block printing, every print will have its own unique quality. Each edition is inspected to be the best quality and similar, but I cannot ensure exact replica of the print pictured on this site. Part of the magic of printmaking is all of the print-specific marks like "noise" or carving marks that add to the feel of the print. Please take note of this when ordering.