The topic of family and faith is ingrained in India Cruse-Griffin’s art practice, which is conveyed through the visual outcome of her work and the process in itself. Her work is rich in texture and narrative as it often portrays the complexity of the human experience and the richness embedded in communal and familial history. Her mixed media collages and paintings brilliantly bring to the surface curiosity and wonder and urge us to explore further.

Meet Me at the River
Mixed media collage on canvas 2’ x 4’

Using art to navigate complex emotions and experiences, India asks the audience to extract their meaning from this body of work. She is fascinated by how art creates a space where multiple emotions coexist for the viewers and the artists. Her piece titled Meet Me at the River portrays the composite space of joy, communion, loss, grief, and acceptance. It depicts a gathering of India’s immediate and extended family. Inspired by an image captured from a family reunion, it brings the artist on an unexpected journey. She describes the emergence of this piece as “it felt like a baptism or communion.

However, after some changes in her family shortly after that event, the painting started to take on a whole new meaning. As she continued to work on this piece, a celebration turned into something unexpected. Feeling of nostalgia, loss, grief, and mourning accompanied by acceptance and hope emerged. The progression of the painting told a new story “Shortly after that, I felt overwhelmed. Several people passed away. At the end of the painting, I was painting something different than a baptism.” This painting and many others in this show, serve as a tribute to India’s family. She says that some works on the surface convey the opposite of her experience while creating the works. In the past couple of years, India and her family have experienced many changes as some family members passed on. Her work is contending to the new realities of her life and the changes as they are happening and immortalizing and honoring her community.

Oh, There’s Joy in the Morning!
Mixed media collage on canvas 2’ x 3’

Creativity is something India shares with her family. She grew up making art with her mom, who is an artist. She describes a pivotal moment when her practice changed from being concerned with perfectionism to letting loose and allowing imperfect edges to tell their own story. After having her oldest and youngest daughters, India learned that she didn’t have time to worry about perfectionism. She recognized an important lesson that informed her art practice for years to come. “My daughter tore up a magazine, and that was the foundation of my art practice.” She then learned to appreciate the playfulness of imperfection and torn edges. Her works consist of layers of collage materials from magazines to found textured surfaces. She then adds layers of paint over the collage and found materials giving her work so much depth and complexity. Some works start as paintings and turn into mixed media collages, while others begin with collage. Her abstracted figures often are a representation of her family and community at large. Each figure holds so much story and emotion that it allows the viewers to take a closer look and connect with her work on a deeper level. Outside of family, faith, and her immediate surroundings, she also takes inspiration from artists such as Romare Bearden and Betye Saar. She appreciates mixed media collage because it is versatile and mobile. She can take her work anywhere.

Cousins Playday
Mixed media collage canvas 2’ x 3’

She is excited to share this body of work at the Harrison Center’s Harrison Gallery throughout the month of April. Please stop by the Harrison Center and experience this beautiful body of work in person or through our online gallery.

Before My Eyes