Spotlight Artist

Grace Lynne Haynes

Pacific Coast
Artist profile photo
Featured in New American Paintings

Artist Statement


This series focuses on relationships Black women have with one another through dance. I am curious about the realms of dance and how the movement of one’s body can create a ritual of existence and suggest an agency over their body. When two bodies collide, intertwining community and movement, they take on a new form. I showcase this collision through the lens of a fairytale, a genre that often excludes women of color. The invented characters in my works are various beings ranging from fairies, to spirits, and humans in flesh form. These characters are placed against vibrant backgrounds that contain intricate patterns, detailed carpentry, shadow play, and indoor exotic plants. These elements are created with acrylic paint and found objects—such as fabric and wallpaper—that are repurposed into the figure’s form and environment. Through these paintings, I am exploring themes of mysticism, community, womanhood, and performance.

Discover more artists from the Pacific Coast

THE MAGAZINE

Explore our magazine to discover exceptional artists

Open magazine with text, modern illustrations, and a list of artists on a pink background.
View issues

Call for Artists

Submit your work for consideration

New American Paintings is a juried exhibition-in-print and digital, presenting the work of 40 emerging artists in each issue.

View competitions

Your gateway to new art

Discover tomorrow's art stars, today

Two books on a wooden table with a modern decorative sculpture in the background.

PRINT + EARLY ACCESS DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

$179/YEAR

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

$99/YEAR OR $10/MONTH

Each issue of New American Paintings features forty artists selected through our juried competitions—presented in a beautifully curated, full-color publication. Subscribers receive six issues per year, plus exclusive online access to current and past editions. Are you a collector? Consider our premium subscription and receive our museum-quality printed publication + access to each new digital issue two weeks before its general release.