Artist Statement & Bio

Asia Estelle is an African American photographer, ceramicist, and visual activist. With photography being her primary medium, Estelle photographs Black issues and Black natural hair. She strives to explore ways to combine 2D and 3D materials. Additionally, she aspires to provide representation for Black communities and to inspire the Black community to be confident and

unapologetic in their Blackness. Estelle is interested in using her tools, cameras, and clay, as political instruments to empower herself and her community.

Estelle was born and raised in Houston, TX, and has received an Associate of Arts degree from Lone Star College. Estelle practices and commutes between San Marcos and Houston, and has also received a BFA in Photography with a minor in Mass Communication from Texas State University​.

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The motif my ceramic work centers around is Black natural hair. Hair is extremely important to Black culture, as it represents history, growth, and love. The hair on my vessels is a literal index of me, and therefore, of my experiences with my hair. The process of making these pieces personifies the labor and care that go into caring for natural hair.

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The overarching concept any of my work centers around, in both photography and ceramics, examines Blackness, my place within it, and what it means for me to exist as a Black woman. I strive to analyze Black identity and create work encompassing of its multitudes. Identity, politics, community, and much more contribute to the understanding and perceptions of Blackness.

While Black people have shared experiences, Blackness is not a monolith: there is no singular Black experience. It defies polarity and exists within an in-between space that metaphorically, is gray.

Projects & Merchandise