Lydia Makepeace

 

Lydia Makepeace is a New Orleans based urban sketcher and social justice artist. With paint as her primary medium she documents everyday life and explores complex subject matter.

Her current Affirm Black Women portrait series examines how white supremacy, misogyny, and ableism intersect to oppress and erase the legacy of Black women. In the United States Black women are more likely to die in childbirth, be victims of intimate partner violence, and live in poverty than their white counterparts. By highlighting the work and words of Black women Lydia strives to center the voices of the most marginalized people fighting for social justice.

Ten percent of proceeds from the Affirm Black Women series are donated to Women With a Vision, a New Orleans social justice non-profit created by and for women of color. For the past 30 years Women With a Vision has been providing health services and advocating for New Orleans’ most marginalized women.