Back to Africa Tee by S. Bjyrd

Honor your African foremothers in this screen printed, jersey-knit tee with long sleeves and stylish shirred sides. Rayon/spandex; machine wash. Imported.

This beautiful tee is part of our Artist Series, an initiative that magnifies the work of talented Black artists like Sharon L. Bjyrd. We first met Sharon when she entered and won our 2021 UMOJA Impact Award from our Onward & Upward Artist Showcase. Best known for her vibrant portraits celebrating the beauty and diversity of the Black experience, Sharon is largely self taught with just a few classes taken along the way. Her medium of choice is acrylic paint (though she has been known to also dabble in mixed media).

Sharon’s work has been featured in the book, “Let’s Talk About It: The Art, The Artists and The Racial Justice Movement on Madison’s State Street” 2021; as a mural at The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art during the George Floyd riots 2020; at the “Bohemian Black” solo exhibit, Roberta Gallery, UW-Whitewater 2020; as an emerging artist at MMOCA ‘s Art Fair on the Square 2019...also at “Flowers in the Garden Exhibit,” The South Side Community Art Center 2019 in Chicago; the Hatch Art House in Madison, WI; and the Silver Room Block Party 100 Canvas Event in Chicago. She is currently one of four artists in the BridgeWork Art Accelerator Program at Art Lit Lab in Madison.

We are deeply honored to bring her work to you today.

BIOGRAPHY: Sharon was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. She went to school for social work and Afro American studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison which led her to work in the domestic violence field where she served women through organizations like the YWCA of Madison and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence. It was only after a slowdown due to lupus and sickle cell disease that Sharon rediscovered her passion for art.

“I seek to honor the individuality of people of color and to depict the different ways we go about expressing our Blackness.” -Sharon J. Bjyrd