Black Renaissance Woman (2026) Original Collage by Brandie Adams-Piphus

"La Donna"

This original analog collage work features a black woman captured in a renaissance style portrait, shrouded by affluence and romanticism.
The woman is seated within an ornate, classical frame, surrounded by flowers, architectural fragments and layers of patterned imagery. Wearing a shimmering gold renaissance robe, leopard-print accents and distinctive yellow sunglasses, she appears poised and self-assured, looking beyond the frame rather than directly at the viewer. Her posture and expression create a sense of quiet confidence and presence.

The composition combines fragments of European architecture, floral imagery, botanical elements, leopard print and decorative patterns, bringing together references that feel both historical and contemporary. The classical frame becomes part of the artwork itself, while the flowers and fabric extend beyond its edges, disrupting the boundaries of the portrait and creating the feeling that the woman is emerging from the framed world.

The color palette is rich and warm, dominated by gold, brown, black and cream, with deep greens, reds, pinks and touches of yellow adding contrast. The combination of classical portraiture, fashion, collage and natural elements creates a work that explores identity, beauty and self-possession while playing with the relationship between the traditional and the contemporary.

Materials used:

Watercolor paper, glue, ephemera

Details:

• Collage on Paper
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 38.1 x 45.72 x 1.91cm (framed)
• Framed and ready to hang
• Signed on the front
• Style: Collage
• Subject: People and portraits