Last summer, Jess Phoenix wowed me with her vibrant blooms. And, she was a hit on Brown Paper Bag, too; her beautiful bouquets were one of the most popular posts of 2016. Jess has just finished another gorgeous series called Queens that builds off of flowers and incorporates illustrated women and cats.
“Each piece is meant to revere four types of women of color,” she tells me in an email, “who often do not get the honor they so greatly deserve (Black women, Muslim women, Latina/Immigrant women, and Indigenous American women). I was originally inspired by Kehinde Wiley‘s work—not only for his brilliant color and patterns, but for treating his subjects with such dignity and reverence.” And, you’ll notice that each of them has a cat accompanying them. She continues, “Cat ownership was seen as a luxury or a high status symbol in many cultures, but I also just really love cats.” (Me too, Jess. Me too.)
Jess sells these four illustrations as limited edition prints through her online shop.
