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  • Rosa Leff
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Monochromatic papercut artwork titled "Justice for Big Floyd" by Rosa Leff

Justice for Big Floyd by Rosa Leff.

For this project I will create a series of life-size papercut self-portraits that challenge the one dimensional view folks often have of Blackness. In each self-portrait I will be dressed for one of the many roles I play. By presenting myself as an educator, as a party girl ready for a night out, as a Jew ready to attend services at my synagogue, sweatpants ready to hit the couch, or as an artist ready to give a talk, I will show that not only can Black people be anything, but a single Black woman can be a dozen things at once. Just as many are quick to make assumptions about a person based on the color of their skin, people are quick to assume that my two dimensional works are woodblock prints, linocut, or some other medium. By displaying these life size papercuts in free standing float frames viewers will be able to see right through me. More importantly, because they will be forced to walk around the frames, they will have no choice but to interact with and acknowledge me.

Rosa Leff’s Website

  • 2020
  • 2020 Black Artists Support
  • Graduate School of Education
  • Making Art Grant
  • Responsive Opportunity

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The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation

John McInerney (he/him)
Executive Director
215-573-0874
mcinernj@upenn.edu

Chloe Reison (she/her)
Associate Director
215-573-2159
reison@upenn.edu

Elizabeth Shaw (she/her)
Administrative Assistant
215-898-5930
elizshaw@upenn.edu

The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation offices are located at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania.

3680 Walnut Street
Philadelphia PA

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