Sydnie Jimenez

Lucy Lacoste Gallery is pleased to present SYDNIE JIMENEZ: SKIRTS AND HOODIES, October 2 –30th, the first solo exhibition of the Dominican-American sculptor, Sydnie Jimenez. Much of her work centers around the representation of black/ brown youth and self-expression as a form of protest, self-care, and power within community. The show encompasses issues of race and gender.

Born of a white mother and a Dominican father, Sydnie’s sculpture reflects what it is like to grow up mixed race in a European centered white culture. Above all, her work is about attitude. With the rebellious, suspicious nature of her figures the artist wants to show, as she says, “the ‘tough’ or ‘angry, mean, and bitchy’ demeanors which black and brown femmes take on or are projected onto as a defense mechanism, as well as the radical joy and the deep sadness that permeates our experiences”.

While each of her ceramic figures has its own identity, together they form a community, that understands the suspicion, joy, and sadness each member experiences. The artist’s awareness of fashion and current trends is expressed in the sculptures and through the title of the show.

Sydnie Jimenez was born in Orlando, FL (1997) and spent most of her childhood in north Georgia from which she draws much inspiration. She recently graduated from School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2020) focusing on ceramic sculpture and is a recipient of the Windgate Fellowship (2020). Ms. Jimenez is currently doing a residency at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana.

Artist Statement

I make figurative work of black and brown youth with varied personalities to show individuality within communities on the fringes of popular culture rooted in white supremacy. The navigation through this toxic Eurocentric foundation has shaped the way the world views black and brown people and how we view ourselves in relation to whiteness. I want to spark conversations around style, self-expression, internal reflection, and the observation of the self by others in relation to the post-colonial society we live in along with the many connotations this has. With the rebellious and suspicious nature of my figures I want to show the “tough” or “angry, mean, and bitchy” demeanors in which especially black and brown femmes take on or are projected onto as a defense mechanism combatting an unwelcoming society and also the radical joy and the deep sadness that permeates our experiences.

View the Skirts and Hoodies Show Catalogue

Skirts and Hoodies

October 2 – 30, 2021

Press Release