Meet Amina Daugherty of Art by Amina & WE Collective in Stone Mountain

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amina Daugherty.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Amina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I once heard someone say, “I feel like a man with a fork in a world full of soup”. This is one of my favorite quotes because it perfectly describes how I felt throughout most of my educational career. While I always enjoyed school and learning, the things that I was being taught did not speak to what I was passionate about. I was that kid that drew in the margins of my notes and doodled all over my math exams. The thing that always made me feel safe and connected to what I was doing was art. But I never thought as a kid in grade school that art could be a career. When going through school in a predominately Black community, no matter what you are exposed to elsewhere, it seems like you’re being placed in a box/ bubble. Automatically, you learn about a small set of careers that are deemed viable or worth your time. Art is not often included in that set. We are not often pushed to believe that our natural creativity and imaginations, which drive so much of the culture around the world, are actually worth being paid for.

My education, and the rest of my life, changed when I entered high school. My sister and I attended DeKalb Early College Academy in Stone Mountain, where we both entered college as full-time students in the 11th grade. At that time, we were asked to declare a major. Imagine being 16 years old and being asked to make a decision that would affect the rest of your career? I was panicked. I wanted to pick something that seemed respectable and sensible. For a while, I had settled on dentistry- I look back and laugh about that now. But then I found out that Georgia State University offered an Associate Degree of Fine Arts. I felt like the main character in Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”; moving into this uncharted territory both scared and excited me. There were two paths in front of me. The first was the boxed in path that I had prepared my whole life to travel down. I knew it would offer me security and stability, and that I could even continue my art as a hobby. But then there was the second path. Less concrete, yes, but fine art offered endless possibilities to create the kind of life and the kind of world I wanted. After gaining the support of my family, I decided to travel that road not taken.

I have never regretted and will never regret the scary choice I made at 16. As an African American artist with formal education, I can break down barriers and be a part of conversations in the art world that are often held about us without us. My goal is to use my art to connect the stories of our ancestors with the current realities of being Black in America. Ultimately, I believe my greatest contribution is going to be showing young Black creative people that we do not have to stay inside the lines drawn for us; we can draw our own path and use our talents to make space for others.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I was a kid, I did not have language like “inclusivity” and “intersectionality” to help me understand myself. As a Black Muslim woman, I felt like I was being pulled in so many different directions. It felt as though I was living different lives depending on the space I was in, and I struggled a lot to find ways to organically piece every part of my identity together into one picture. On top of that, as an introvert, I often had an even harder time voicing the reasons why I felt so lost. As an introverted person everyone pushes you to become an extrovert. I thought there was something wrong with me. I was always very quiet, shy, and observant. But I learned that it is my introversion and my quiet, observant nature that has often lent itself to my ability to focus on conducting thorough research and to create thoughtful artwork. It truly is art, combined with the support of my family, that helped me begin to understand myself, and to record and relay my story in a way that made sense.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Art by Amina & WE Collective story. Tell us more about the business.
I have two businesses: My art and WE Collective. Art by Amina: I am a sculptor and a painter. My sculpture work is very anthropological. I enjoy mixing the stories of modern Black America with the art styles of our ancestors, using this format to address stereotypes and unpack trauma. I enjoy making art that is empowering and informative. When Black patrons enter a gallery space and see my work, I want them to feel a part of this world that often tries to bar us from it. My paintings, however, focus more on fantasy. Typically, Black women are my subjects, and I enjoy incorporating a lot of Afrofuturism and abstract concepts. My goal through my painting is simply to make Black women smile.

WE Collective: I came to my sister Amira with the idea to create a space for People of Color (POC) to build community with one another online and in the real world. Together, after careful planning, Amira and I are finally prepared to launch “WE Collective: A Space for US”. WE will serve as a collective for POC to come together through education, highlighting innovation, and celebration. Each month, we will feature a different topic and examine it through creative and informative lenses. Please make sure to follow us @WeCllctv on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I am not a person who believes in luck- I am guided by faith. Holding on to my Islam has helped me understand that everything happens for a reason. Nothing is random. I believe that every moment that we perceive as good or bad is actually a blessing there to teach us a lesson. It is all a part of the plan that God has for me. As long as I keep my faith, I’ll end up exactly where I am supposed to be, Insha’Allah.

Pricing:

• Pick A Ninny (painting)- $500
• Pick A Ninny (Prints)-$85 each
• New Crown & New Crown II (Framed)- $230
• Identity (painting)- $300

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/theblacksculptress?igshid=1j1ezonx2k0vu
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wecllctv/?eid=ARB7pAIMyoJ7wNPzYHrxYd6dnuo_mw0UbzwX55HLkztagyBPA1GQn_UynV83gkm2iyyUqpgP41yOky0Z
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/wecllctv/

Image Credit:
Sharon Gurung

Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.