Tschabalala Self (Harlem, NY, 1990) is a New Haven-based artist who received her MFA from Yale University in 2015. Self's work is intrinsically related to her sense of identity, and her exploration of the iconographic significance of the Black female body in contemporary culture. Through large scale multimedia assemblages and collages, Self pieces together the often-exaggerated forms of the female figure, emphasizing the way that society traditionally fetishizes Black bodies. She stitches the fabric of her narrative using multilayered characters, or “avatars”, as the artist refers to them, as visual representations of her own lived experiences and the experiences of others in her community. Self's goal is to correct the continued misconceptions perpetuated by society and create figures who do not have to preform to any expected persona, but instead can exist confidently in the world without judgement or expectation. Recent exhibitions include ICA Boston, MA; Rubell Museum, Miami, FL; the Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA; Yuz Museum, Shanghai, and Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art, London, among others.