Michigan artist expresses people of color experiences through paintings
Courtesy of Teresa Dunn. Painting "Keira Busch and the Tree of Many Fruits" by Teresa Dunn.
In the vibrant colors of her paintings, Teresa Dunn expresses experiences of people of color and immigrants.
Her exhibition “US.” is displayed through May 30 at the Barber Room Gallery, Park Library at Central Michigan University.
Dunn will also conduct an artist talk at 7 p.m. April 4 at the gallery. A reception will follow her talk.
In her artist’s talk, Dunn will share how her personal experience as Mexican American inspired paintings, as well as stories of others, because the people in the paintings are real.
“I struggled with how others would comment on my skin or would ask me where I'm from or what I am,” she said. “And similarly with my name, I go by Teresa now but growing up and my family still calls me Teresita … but most people where I grew up didn’t pronounce it correctly.
“As a child especially, I didn't want to feel different. … Growing up I have appreciated the differences.”
One of the stories in the paintings celebrates Dunn’s sister-in-law, captured in the “Keira Busch and the Tree of Many Fruits.” Busch was adopted into Dunn’s husband’s white family as an infant.
“She has a lot of experiences of her own with her racial identity … the tension she feels between being an adopted child and having a biological family,” Dunn said. “I wanted to celebrate the idea that she does have multiple family trees.”
Dunn said in her paintings she wants to celebrate experiences of people of color, embracing multiplicity and broadening people’s perspectives and narratives.
“While my story isn’t identical to the other people in my paintings, we have parallel experiences that we can understand each other and know the challenges that it can present to have a unique background,” Dunn said. "I want to represent those things in a positive light."
The event is free and open to public.
