"Two Strikes" is a captivating self-portrait by American artist Madelyn Sneed-Grays which represents the dual challenges she faces being both black and a woman. It’s a powerful reflection on how intersectionality shapes a person’s experience in society. In the artist's own words, “Do you know what that means when a human being has two strikes?...I am black and I am a woman.” As an emerging artist (based in Fort Worth, TX), she created this work in response to rarely seeing herself in artistic spaces, noting that artists in “18 major US museums are 85% white and 87% male” and that "women make up just 2% of the art market." In "Two Strikes," Sneed-Grays paints a highly realistic, almost photographic portrait. She looks directly at us with a serene and direct expression from under her beautiful voluminous dark curly hair. Her head and relaxed upper torso fill the frame, creating a sense of depth and realism thanks to meticulous detail in the depiction of the black hair, dark skin, and alluring facial features. In particular, her face and the details on her neck and shoulders are painted with great attention to texture and color variation, which gives a realistic skin tone and feel that is highlighted by soft lighting. Sneed-Grays was a 2016 Hunting Art Prize finalist. Even after multiple awards and exhibitions, she hopes her work encourages the exploration of different cultures and brings awareness to the humanity and beauty of the African American community.

Two Strikes by Madelyn Sneed-Grays (American) - Oil on canvas / 2020 - LSU Museum of Art (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) #womeninart #womanartist #oilpainting #femaleartist #portraitofawoman #selfportrait #womensart #LSU #MadelynSneed-Grays #Sneed-Grays #AfricanAmericanArtist #AfricanAmericanArt #LSUMOA