More about
The artist

My name is Alysa Ricks, and I’ve been creating art since the first grade. Art has always been part of my life it is a constant language I return to for truth, healing, and storytelling.

Currently, I’m working on a deeply personal exhibition that honors the souls of African Americans. This body of work was inspired by my own family; specifically, my African American brother and sister. Growing up in a white world, surrounded by white rules, white walls, and white expectations, I witnessed firsthand the harsh, unjust realities they faced. This exhibit is my tribute to their strength, their beauty, and the powerful resilience of the Black experience. Each piece is a celebration and remembrance of African American identity; defiant, enduring, and radiant.

While I explore many forms of art as a full-time artist, watercolor is my primary medium. However, this series is painted with coffee, a symbolic choice. I was raised Mormon and came out as a queer woman within that world. The first time I tasted coffee, it felt like freedom. It was my first small act of rebellion, my first step toward living as my full self. So in this series, coffee becomes both medium and metaphor: a personal offering of liberation, love, and reverence.