Ebony G. Patterson

Ebony G. Patterson (1981-) is a Jamaican mixed-media artist whose work explores gender and Jamaican dancehall culture. Patterson’s bright and colorful art represents transformations of gender and body politics by blending tapestry, beading, sequins, and crochet, with Internet-sourced images of violent murders. The resulting pieces seduce the viewer with mesmerizing and striking textures. “I’m hoping…,” she explains, “to pull the viewer in to see further and raise questions about how we engage in the act of looking.” Patterson’s work thus elicits a civic awareness that raises the stakes for popular culture.