Maggie Hubbard

University of Illinois at Chicago

Artwork title: Carolyn Bryant Donham
ink on canvas | 31 x 23 inches

Tell us about the work that you have submitted.
Her face goes widely unrecognized, despite being the white woman whose word led to the brutal lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till. This is Carolyn Bryant Donham in 1955, sitting in the courtroom where her husband and his half-brother were acquitted of their crimes against Till by an all-white jury.

How do you describe your work and practice?
I utilize painting and drawing as a way of questioning and knowing. Starting from a point of personal narrative, I then depict objects and spaces that contain political and social connections. My illustrative renderings aim to capture the psychological residue of whiteness in middle-class America.

What motivated you to apply to the AXA Art Prize?
I was forwarded the opportunity by my advisor, Dianna Frid.

What themes regularly resurface?
Grief is a driving force for me; I see it as admitting powerlessness. Grief is seeing forces that are too daunting or impossible to change; seeing those forces for what they are and positioning oneself accordingly. It’s an acknowledgment and a practice of being present to reality.

www.maggiehubbard.net
Instagram | @maggie_hubbard