Shawnette George "The World Is Yours Babygirl"
Shawnette George "The World Is Yours Babygirl" 2022
Painting, Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 20 x 20 inches
Unique
Signed on Verso
Shawnette “ShawnG” George is a self-taught artist from Brooklyn, New York, whose practice celebrates the triumphs and experiences of Black women across the diaspora. Growing up in East Flatbush with her grandparents, who owned a sneaker store, she developed an early love of art and credits her vibrant use of color to her upbringing and surroundings.
Affectionately known as the “Hood Georgia O’Keeffe” for her vagina artworks, George draws inspiration from conversations with her homegirls about life, love, and everyday struggles. Through bold, colorful imagery, she aims to spark conversation, challenge perceptions of Black women, and create a space where they can feel seen and unapologetically themselves.
George’s work has appeared on television, including Jane the Virgin, and has been featured by publications and organizations including AfroPunk, Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Amber Rose SlutWalk, Patricia Field, and Art Basel.
Artist Statement
"The World Is Yours Babygirl
I painted "The World Is Yours Babygirl" during one of the loneliest periods of my life. I needed to remember I was still someone’s child, still protected, even when I couldn’t feel it.
The work reimagines tarot. The Empress represents my grandmother, who raised me and passed away at 1:11, these same numbers are on the top of the Empress tarot card. The Four of Pentacles represents my father, a hustler devoted to building wealth. In place of The World card’s traditional figure, I painted myself holding paintbrushes instead of wands, symbolizing my belief that as long as I create, the world remains open to me. My hands are also seen holding the cards because I am the creator of my destiny.
I finished the painting and set it aside as my life unraveled.
Months later, while homeless and sleeping on a friend’s floor, I learned that land my grandmother owned in Florida had been auctioned, leaving a financial surplus in my name. Six months after that, I discovered my father had left me properties in Pennsylvania. Only then did I realize I had painted these inheritances before I knew they existed, the land through The Empress, the properties through the Four of Pentacles.
What I once saw as a painting of survival became a record of intuition, ancestry, and unseen protection. The work speaks to how ancestors guide us, how creativity can become prophecy." - Shawnette George