NEW YERRRK TONGUE by Mieyoshi Ragenoir

I portray the heritage and the radiance of Black American pride and joy. My artwork serves as archival portraits rooted in history and how it continuously lingers into our present. Born in Harlem, then moving to the West Bronx in my teens, I’ve witnessed a drastic cultural shift in both communities spanning over two decades as a result of systemic racism, gentrification, and entertainment media. Responding to the vivid aftermath of historical changes, my paintings are social dialogues, colorful retellings, and portraits depicting the essential moments of my path. Black American pride is amplified through my artwork to shed light on an often disregarded community in America. Using paint and mixed materials as tools of empowerment; Black people are often painted in front of vibrant backgrounds that portray elements I’ve seen living in Black/and Brown communities.

Mieyoshi Ragernoir is a painter, art educator, and installation artist from Harlem, NY, and is currently based and living in Detroit, Michigan. She received her BFA in Painting from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in 2019, then received her MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2022. Mieyoshi creates celebratory paintings archiving the connections between Black people; predominantly portraiture highlighting the radiance and joy of Black women. Ragernoir’s artworks have been exhibited across galleries around the city such as N’namdi Center for Contemporary Art, Galerie Camille, Playground Detroit, Reyes & Finn, and more. Additionally, she’s been mentored and a studio apprentice for Detroit native painter, Mario Moore and a participant in the Pratt Forward artist mentorship residency co-created by her art mentors, Mickalene Thomas & Jane South in Brooklyn, NY. Recently, she taught at the Charles E. Wright Museum of African American History for a collaborative ancestry workshop for “To Whom Much Is Given” exhibition with the museum curated by Malika Pryor.