Women To Know: Quiana Parks

Quiana Parks doesn’t restrict herself to the confines of one singular art form. Instead, she infuses her artistic creations with a variety of sources that exude the vibrancy of her African American and Jamaican heritage. Regularly using “a dynamic blend of oil pigment sticks, charcoal, and pencil on paper and canvas,” Parks’ art showcases the New Jersey native’s “signature approach to mixed media on paper and wood.”

Parks tells HelloBeautiful about her artistic journey thus far, specifically as it relates to the Black woman’s experience in America. When asked about the themes she finds herself returning to in her work, she’s clear.

“Grief, memory, spirituality, transformation—especially through the lens of Black womanhood,” Parks says. “Water is a big one for me, too. I think about it a lot. I’ve cried oceans, but I’ve also been healed by them. Sound is a throughline, too—because sometimes a hum, a moan, or a beat can hold more truth than words.”

The artist, who is also a successful DJ, knows that her work will be viewed a certain way because she is a Black woman, but she doesn’t let that place any restrictions on her.

“Being a Black woman means my work is always seen through that lens—whether I want it to be or not,” Parks tells us. “But it also means I create from a place of layered truth. There’s joy, but also weight. There’s legacy and loss. There’s always a little extra resistance—but also a whole lot of resilience. I paint and DJ with that in mind. My identity isn’t a trend. It’s a truth. A frequency.”

She continues, telling us how she moves through the art world as a woman of color. “There’ve been moments where I felt invisible and moments where I felt deeply seen,” Parks says.

“I’ve had to advocate for myself in rooms where folks didn’t get it. But I stopped trying to be understood by people who don’t speak my language. I built my own space. I show in my own loft. I curate the vibe myself. That’s freedom to me,” she adds.

As for what she wants people to feel or take away from her work, Parks shares a hope for a feeling of softness and security.

“I hope they feel softened. Held. Reminded. Like they’re not alone in their grief or their glow. My work isn’t always easy, but it’s honest. And I hope it gives people permission to feel the hard stuff without shame—and to celebrate the sacred in their everyday,” she says.

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