Mirlande Jean-Gilles's portfolio

Work samples

Girl With the Big Afro

11"x 14" collage on canvas paper and watercolor paint
Black Butterfly White L

20x20 Collage on artboard paper
On Our Way to Ballet Class

"On Our Way to Ballet Class" This is an 8"x10" collage on canvas. I created this using watercolor paint for the background and various papers for everything else. I created the pattern for the mother's outfit using different colored paints and sponges. The same for the little girl's shirt.
Comfort Bringers

14"x 11" dollage on watercolor paper. I used watercolor paint to create the background and paper from books and magazines to create the rest. 2016

About Mirlande

Baltimore City

Mirlande Jean-Gilles is a mother of two, a visual artist and writer. Her award winning fiction and poetry have been published in various literary journals and anthologies.
Mirlande creates vibrant collages using papers from books and magazines. She is old school and likes to work with paper, scissors and glue.
Her collages have been exhibited at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, University of Baltimore, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Kenkeleba… more

Commisioned Artwork for Baltimore Center Stage 2019/2020 Season

In early 2019 I was commissioned by Baltimore Center Stage to create six original collages for their upcoming shows for 2019/2020 season. I was also asked to create a seventh piece that would encapcilate the feeling of the season.

I was given the scripts for the upcoming shows that I would create art for. I had several meetings with the staff at Center Stage where we shared ideas and made sure we were on the same page and I went to work.

Using paper mostly from books and magazines I created the collages. I went through thousands of pages looking for the perfect something that would work in these collages.

I loved reading the scripts and being inspired! There were so many great lines that sparked ideas and images to create.

Invites, posters, banners and play bills were created using these collages I created. They hang in the lobby of Baltiomre Center Stage

Black Butterfly White L

Commisioned Original Artwork by Baltimore Center Stage for the 2019/2020 Season 20"x20" Paper on Artboard This is the collage that represents the entire season. If you look closely you will see all the plays of the 2019-2020 season represented in the images Lawerence Brown says "Baltimore is a city that is hypersegregated into two parts. Because of 105 years of racist policies and practices, Baltimore’s hypersegregated neighborhoods experience radically different realities. Due to this dynamic, the white neighborhoods on the map that form the shape of an 'L' accumulate structured advantages, while Black neighborhoods, shaped in the form of a butterfly, accumulate structured disadvantages. Baltimore’s hypersegregation is the root cause of racial inequity, crime, health inequities/disparities, and civil unrest." (Lawrence Brown) Center Stage is using this image for their Civil dialouge series that brings speakers and people from all over Baltimore to speak about the issues that plague the city and what the solutions can be offered to mitigate the violence and seperation that we see.
Miss You Like Hell

Commisioned art work created for the 1st play of the new season "Miss You Like Hell" 11x14 collage on watercolor paper 2019
Thoughts Of A Colored Man

Commisioned artwork 2019/2020 season paper on artboard 2019
Men On Boats
Richard, Jane, Dick,& Sally

16"x20" Collage on Artboard Paper
Where We Stand

20"x 16" Collage on Artboard 2019
The Bakkhai

16"x20" collage on artboard 2019

Mother and Child

Motherhood is very inspiring to me. I have two daughters. Being a mom has changed me in so many ways. I think I am a more empathetic and more compassionate person because of my children. A lot of my art features mother's and their children. My art uplifts the Mother and all the thngs that mother's do. I think it is one of the most important work out there. I love being a mother and I am here for the goodness and challenges that come with being a mom.

I am also very aware that even though things have changed since I was a kid, there is still an issue of representation in the media of black and brown children.

Yellow Sky and Balloons

14"x 11" collage on paper. Created with paper found in magazines and books. 2017
On Our Way to Ballet Class

8" x 10" collage on canvas. Watercolor paint was used for the background. I used paint and sponges to create the pattern of the mom's dress and the little girl's skirt/
Mother and Child

10"x 7" collage on cardboard. Paper. 2012
Dancin' In The Living Room

11"x14" collage on watercolor paper. Created with paper. 2017
Mama, Baby and Butterfly

8"x 10" Collage on watercolor paper. Watercolor paint used for the background and various papers for the collage.
On Our Walk

10" x 8" collage on watercolor paper. 2017
Mama Baby Brownstone

7" x 10" collage on cardboard. I created this using paper. 2015
First Day of School

5"x 7" collage on cardstock. 2016