Oasa DuVerney

Oasa DuVerney is known for her figurative works utilizing graphite on paper. DuVerney’s work centers itself in social and political commentary that relates to her social status as a woman of color and a working-class person. She reimagines elements from both the natural and urban, political and social landscapes as active sites in building solidarity for Black liberation. In a world where some people and places have been deemed not worthy of protection, the figures in her works are rendered with the care, compassion and understanding that they deserve but aren’t always afforded. She draws on elements from nature: waves, snakes and mountains to explore the ways in which people of color exist in contemporary society. 

DuVerney (b. 1979, Queens, NY) received her BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 2007 and her MFA from Hunter College, CUNY, in 2011. DuVerney is an Assistant Professor in the School of Art and the School of Design at Pratt Institute. She has presented solo and two-person exhibitions at Welancora Gallery (2022), Colburn Gallery (2017), and Rush Arts Gallery (2016), among others, and has also exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum of the African Diaspora, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. She has completed residencies at BRIC, Rush Arts, and Smack Mellon, among others. Her work is included in the collections of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Oasa was awarded a New York City Percent for Art commission (2024) to create a series of reflective portraits of influential authors from the African diaspora for the Brooklyn Public Library Eastern Parkway branch. Etched into shatterproof glass mirrors, the works will provide viewers the opportunity to reflect on themselves and the authors being represented. By focusing on the African Diaspora, the artist pays homage to the diversity of cultures and peoples of African descent currently living in Crown Heights, their journey and making this community home. More information can be found here and imagery can be found here.