Selah Studios

We back outside! Come see my latest piece “Braid My Hair” at this exhibition 🤗🎨🖼️

Little Luxuries: An Exhibition of Small Works – Main Line Art Center Celebrate the intricacies and beauty found in the details of minute works of art. Little Luxuries serves as an accessible entry point for new collectors and provides avid collectors an opportunity to discover fresh artists and mediums! This regional juried exhibition features work in a range of styl...

Braid My Hair (8x8in Acrylic and Mixed Media on stretched canvas)

There’s nothing deep about this one—just pure joy, vibes, and a love letter to Black beauty. Braid My Hair is an 8x8in acrylic painting featuring a beautiful Black woman with bold gold hoops, laid baby hairs, and a crown of real, hand-braided hair swept into a perfectly messy bun. Yes, actual braiding hair—braided strand by strand and attached to the canvas. It’s 3D, it’s textured, and it’s straight-up iconic.

And while I was braiding, I couldn’t help but hear Mario’s smooth voice in my head singing, “C’mon and braid my hair.” That early 2000s R&B classic basically became the unofficial anthem of this piece.

This isn’t about deep symbolism—it’s just a fun, feel-good celebration of Black culture, style, and the everyday rituals that make us feel like us. From the laid edges to the lazy bun, this one’s all about the beauty in the details.

“Yes and Amen” (9x12in Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas Board)

Yes and Amen is a 9x12 mixed media piece that serves as a companion to Anointed Rain, completing a visual story of divine faithfulness—from the outpouring to the promise fulfilled. Inspired by 2 Corinthians 1:20—“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen”—this artwork captures the quiet peace that comes after the rain, when hope is no longer a question but a certainty.

At the center is a raised wooden silhouette of a Black woman, her profile serene, eyes closed in restful confidence. Her skin is painted bronze, with a subtle sheen that catches the light. Her hair, created from real synthetic curls and shaped with care, adds lifelike texture and presence.

Unlike her adorned sister in Anointed Rain, this figure wears no jewelry. Her posture, undistracted and still, reflects a soul at rest, certain that what God has spoken will come to pass. She is not waiting for the rain—she’s living in the afterglow of it, anchored in a quiet amen.

Behind her, the canvas glows with vibrant orange, layered with soft hues of coral and gold, like the first light of morning breaking through. This radiant backdrop symbolizes the dawn after a storm—the warmth of fulfillment and the beauty of promises kept.

While Anointed Rain captures the sacred moment of divine outpouring, Yes and Amen dwells in the calm that follows—a visual amen to every word God has spoken. Together, they form a spiritual duet: one bathed in rain, the other in rising light.

“Anointed Rain” (9x12in Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas Board)

Anointed Rain is a 9x12 acrylic painting that visually interprets Joel 2:23—“Rejoice… For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness.” The canvas is layered in rich blue hues, with golden streaks cascading like rain from heaven, symbolizing the outpouring of God’s grace, renewal, and promise. The rain does not fall in sorrow but in celebration—an offering of restoration in due season.

At the center stands a wooden silhouette of a Black woman with her head held high, embodying both reverence and resilience. Her painted skin shimmers subtly, as if illuminated by the very rain that surrounds her. A full afro made of real synthetic hair gives texture and presence, while a sparkling gold rhinestone earring adds a regal, sacred touch. She does not simply endure the rain—she is anointed by it, a living testament to beauty, identity, and the faithful return of joy through God’s divine timing.

“Royalty” (Two 16x20in Acrylic Paintings on Stretched Canvas)
Rooted in the truth that God calls us a royal priesthood, this powerful diptych affirms the divine identity and sacred dignity of the Black man and woman. Inspired by Mali Music’s Royalty, the figures are rendered with symmetrical, geometric precision—evoking the timeless elegance of Egyptian hieroglyphics and the spiritual authority bestowed by their Creator.
The man, with a high top fade, and the woman, crowned with a regal afro, both gaze forward—strong, still, and sure of who they are. Delicate gold lines are painted throughout their hairstyles, woven with intention and reverence to symbolize wisdom, royalty, and the richness of their heritage. Each stroke was laid with care, part of the over 40 hours invested in crafting the crisp, exacting lines that give this piece its commanding presence.

Their faces shimmer with metallic paint, a visual declaration of their God-given value and radiance. Bold red backgrounds speak to the bloodshed woven into their ancestral stories, yet do not define them; instead, they rise above it, glistening with honor and purpose. Royalty is a visual proclamation of legacy, identity, and the unshakable truth that they—and we—are chosen, set apart, and deeply loved.

“Black Is He” (22x28in, Acrylic on Stretched Canvas)
Bold, raw, and unapologetically expressive, Black Is He explores the strength and resilience of Black men navigating a world that often misunderstands and marginalizes them. The abstract strokes and layered textures evoke a sense of inner turmoil and external chaos—symbolic of the struggles Black men endure. Yet, at the center stands a commanding, stoic face with piercing eyes that refuse to look away. His gaze, unwavering and full of quiet power, cuts through the noise, embodying dignity, endurance, and unyielding strength. The piece challenges viewers to witness both the pain and the majesty within.

“Ready” (20x30in, Acrylic on Stretched Canvas)
Poised, powerful, and unmistakably present, Ready captures the essence of the modern Black woman’s strength and grace. Dressed in a classic white dress and elegant black hat, the figure glances down at her nails — a moment of calm, confidence, and care. Her wrist bears three bracelets in red, green, and yellow — colors echoing Pan-African pride and resilience. Set against a chaotic yet regal backdrop of deep, textured purple, she remains composed, stylish, and unshaken. Ready is a visual tribute to the woman who is always prepared, always polished, and always powerful — even in the midst of disorder.