For Women’s History Month, we asked artist and Fort Lewis College graduate Kayla Shaggy to tell a story about a woman who influenced her – and to do it through her art.
Shaggy, 24, is an award-winning artist who creates art in different ways: screen prints, sketches, charcoal, figure drawings, comics and more. In the summer, she won the grand prize in Durango Arts Center’s 41st Annual Juried Exhibit for her piece “Hell,” a Bosch-inspired picture depicting devils, devastation and distress.
In this comic, Shaggy explains how her grandmother Arlene Smart inspired her, because she encouraged her to pursue her passion for visual arts
“This piece is a comic talking about me and my grandmother and how she’s always been supporting me in my artwork since I was very young,” she said. “I wanted to get across the relationship I have with my grandmother.
“It goes without saying that there’s a lot of focus on men’s history, and even if there’s a famous historical women, it’s often European,” Shaggy said. “I really like Women’s History Month because I learn more from just what I know myself, so like women of color, modern women, historical women, and I feel like every year we learn something new.”
See more of Shaggy’s art at www.kaylashaggy.gallery.
katie@durangoherald.com
