« My art explores the essence of humanity. My passion is to use body language as an introduction to the context. Choosing my subjects is very intuitive. I go with what I feel. I take several photographs of my subjects; then, I combine them to express a definitive image through individually stained pieces of watercolor paper. When the work is complete, one will find a sense of truth, perhaps a moment that you’ve seen or experienced. My aesthetic is visceral and expressive. What begins with a strictly defined intent, composition, and color scheme is rarely visible in the finished piece. Layers of cut and stained watercolor paper are strategically placed over rough sketches. This is a shift in my artistic approach, in which the context now plays a significant role in the depiction of the individual(s). » YoYo Lander’s arresting collages celebrate the beauty, strength, and vulnerability of her Black subjects. Lander highlights intricacies of bodies and movement and compellingly captures the demeanor of her subjects. She takes several photographs of each of her sitters to use as reference material, then combines those perspectives into singular compositions by layering cut pieces of dyed watercolor paper on top of canvas, resulting in textural, multihued bodyscapes.

BIOGRAPHY

YoYo Lander (b. 1986, Sumter, SC; lives and works in Dallas, TX) takes several photographs of each of her sitters to use as reference material, then combines those perspectives into singular compositions by layering cut pieces of dyed watercolor paper on top of canvas, resulting in textural, multihued bodyscapes.

She has exhibited her work at institutions such as the Zeitz MOCAA as part of the group exhibition When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting with artists of the calibre of Akinola Lasekan, Kehinde Wiley, Michael Amitage, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Lynette Yiadom-Boaky and Amy Sherald; the Museum of Fine Art Houston, Houston, TX; AMOCA – Artistic Museum of Contemporary Art, Cardiff, Wales; among others.

She is part of many collections including AMOCA – Artistic Museum of Contemporary Art, Cardiff, Wales; The Petrucci Family Foundation; Up Next Art Museum collection; Hill Harper Art Foundation; The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, TX; Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, IN; Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Art Collection, Chicago, IL; California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA; International African-American Museum, Charleston, SC and The Beth Rudin Dewoody Collection.

Her recent activity includes a solo exhibition at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Charlotte, NC in January 2025; a solo exhibition at Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery in Luxembourg in November 2025. YoYo Lander’s work is currently exposed at the Liljevalchs konsthall, Stockholm as part of the group exhibition When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting, conceived and organized by Zeitz MOCAA.