ALEESHA NASH Ancestor Ancestor | Digital illustration | 2021

“There are many atrocities that devastate the retelling of Black history. However, my existence is proof that my ancestors
were survivors. The tradition of honoring survivors has not broadly included the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
and that needs to change. The relationship between my ancestors and the fields they labored in is what came to mind
when creating a piece of art for the theme: Resilience in Nature.

My digital painting, Ancestor Ancestor depicts a young slave girl’s view from the kitchen of a plantation house, while
she concurrently views a painting immortalizing Black history in a present-day museum. Additionally, the kitchen is
a subtle remark on colorism and its place in my own lineage. The slight optical illusion between the time periods allows
the girl to exist as both my ancestor and a young Black girl living today.”
-Aleesha Nash

Aleesha Nash is a multidisciplinary artist traversing disciplines of performance, video, and illustration. Over the past few
years, Nash’s work focused on themes addressing race, colorism, Western beauty standards, and positive youth development.
She is interested in stories that help shift the inaccuracies around Black cultural identity. Her work has been seen
Off-Broadway at Cherry Lane Theatre, The National Black Theatre, The Flea Theater, Primary Stages, The Wild Project,
The Arctic Group, Kraine Theatre, the Orange Giraffe Project, as well as the Drama League in New York City and at Goddard
College in Vermont. Nash is an alumna of the Lincoln Center Directors’ Lab and the Stage Directors and Choreographers
Foundation Observership Program. She holds an MA from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education,
and Human Development, and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Goddard College in Vermont, where she received their
Engaged Artist Award.