This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
Heritage. Connection. Reclamation.
Each idea radiates from the tapestries of Honey Pierre’s “Family Matters,” a solo exhibition that’s part of the Atlanta artist’s Mint gallery “Leap Year” residency.
Pierre is a bold, tattooed self-described rebel who keeps her family traditions close. “Family Matters” casts a wider lens on the households of her youth in Cleveland. Her last solo show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland was an ode to the four generations of women in her family there.
Born in Cleveland as Cassandra Hickey, Pierre has begun to find her place in the local artscape. She landed in Atlanta five years ago when she saw the art market shifting but said she didn’t feel quite ready for New York or Los Angeles. She had only two years of painting behind her at that time. She has since been in more than 40 exhibitions, with “Family Matters” becoming her first solo show in Atlanta.
Pierre, who is also a painter, muralist and collage artist, uses fibers and other textiles to re-create family photos in the exhibit.
Blue-bodied Black folks are backed by bright oranges and pastel greens with an array of other colors surrounding them. The pieces give audiences snapshots of the joy in everyday life: breaking bread with family, uncles acting up, the passing down of recipes and life lessons and intense games at the rite of passage that is the spades table. They demonstrate the endurance of culture and connection across generations.
Pierre said her rebellious nature helped her carve her own path to the art world. After high school and one semester at the University of Toledo, she enlisted in the Army and served for three years. Then came a tattoo and piercing apprenticeship in her hometown. Atlanta followed shortly after. With tattoo shops hit by the pandemic shutdown in 2020, Pierre had more time to shift her focus to her paintings and fiber works.
“Family Matters” will open Saturday, June 24, with a reception at the Mint Gallery. The exhibition runs through July 22.
Q: How did you find your way to the art world?
A: After high school, it was easy for me to choose art because I was just so rebellious at the time about going to school. I did one semester in sports medicine only because I had a scholarship. I did not like it, so I left.
I joined the Army in 2014. And it was — spicy. Toward the end of my contract, I got depressed. Being in the Army is very stressful. One thing it gradually brought me back to was drawing. When I’d feel stressed out, I’d start painting and drawing and saying to myself, “Hey, I remember liking this a lot and it’s helping me out.” After my contract ended, I had an apprenticeship at a tattoo shop in Cleveland, and I never worked a regular job again.
Credit: Courtesy of Honey Pierre
Credit: Courtesy of Honey Pierre
Q: Tell me about your name.
A: I got my nickname Honey before the Army. Pierre came from my previous marriage. I did the Tina Turner thing and kept my stage name. He gave me his blessing. So I carry on the name, but it’s also a way of honoring him because he was one of the most important people in my decision to become a full-time artist. When it comes to divorce, a lot of people think of such a negative connotation, but we didn’t have that. It was just a mutual thing, and we continue to support each other’s endeavors and careers.
Q: What has your experience in the “Leap Year” residency taught you?
A: It’s hard as an emerging artist doing everything by yourself, so if you get a machine behind you, it’s priceless. It also allowed me to choose my own mentors, including Kevin “Wak” Williams. When you think of Black American artists, he’s top 10 and he’s helped me tremendously with understanding storytelling and how impactful it really is.
(Beyond the residency) another influence is Bisa Butler, the way she manipulates textiles. She’s not afraid to push the envelope. Also Miya Bailey. I admire his work and what he does for the community. To learn from them, the general masses that come to Mint, curators, scouts ... being in this space during this residency has been great for me.
Q: Blackness and Black culture are unmistakable in your work, but subtly stated and felt more than seen. Maybe it’s the blue. What led you to use blue for the skin tones?
A: With painting, I could use and mix many shades of brown. But when I started with figurative yarn work, I saw that yarn is limited. I talked to my peers about it because I was frustrated. One of my friends told me I could still embrace our culture and community using any shade, but that when it comes to composition and the story, I want ... to make sure people get it because I’m using different shades.
If it’s done seamlessly and I still make sure they have our features and facial expressions and that the Afro puffs are Afroing even through yarn, it works. You can still recognize who we are. And I look at other artists who do well with shades — Amy Sherald, Kerry James Marshall. Now I’m using blue fibers to reclaim our stories.
Q: Say more about that idea of reclamation.
A: It’s our storytelling. I want it to show love, unity, family. I want to make sure we’re all represented correctly in the fine art institutional world. I’m never going to water it down. I make sure I’m conscious and intentional with every story I’m telling, especially since my family is my main muse. Even though it’s my family, people can still relate. The connections are always going to be there. You can see this is a Black woman making some greens. You can see that these are my nieces and nephews kickin’ it, my niece with her Bantu knots and patterned shirt. You can tell it’s our culture, just in a different medium.
Credit: Courtesy of Honey Pierre
Credit: Courtesy of Honey Pierre
Q: How does your family feel about being your muse?
A: My family loves it. They appreciate it because it’s bringing a legacy to our family and our bloodline as we’re all being immortalized in these spaces in which we weren’t welcome once upon a time. That’s our way of reclaiming. I grew up with a lot of love and nurturing, and I carry that throughout my day, my energy, who I am overall.
Q: You seem like you’re not afraid to pivot or explore in your career. What do you see next for yourself?
A: My experience in Atlanta so far has been very supportive. I enjoy the community that I’ve found. It’s unmatched compared to other cities I’ve been to. I think I’ll be here for another four or five years. I want to get my bachelor’s in fine art or textiles. I taught myself to do my medium, how to paint and draw from books, magazines and observing other artists, but I would like to have that structure. People talk mess about going to school for art, but, at some point, you have to refine your skills. If you’re going into the institutional art world, it’s better to have a degree.
I’m interested in staying in the museum world because it’s so connected to the masses. I want to stay there and experiment more with my work — see where it goes, live overseas, learn from other artists. Just evolving.
EXHIBIT PREVIEW
“Family Matters”
June 24-July 22. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on third Thursdays. Opening reception, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, June 24. Artist talk, 3 p.m. July 15. Free. Mint Gallery, 680 Murphy Ave. SW, Suite 2095, Atlanta. 404-968-9153, mintatl.org
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Angela Oliver is a proud native of old Atlanta who grew up in the West End. A journalism and Black studies grad, daily news survivor and member of Delta Sigma Theta, she works in the grassroots nonprofit world while daydreaming about seeing her scripts come alive on the big screen.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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