Meet Aanisah Hinds, at 18 she is ready to take on the art scene by making her official debut at the Motown to Def Jam exhibition presented by ArtCrawl Harlem™ and Souleo Enterprises. The work of 50 artists including Hinds will be displayed throughout four galleries. The theme of the exhibit challenges each artist to create pieces that are inspired by socially conscious music from the classic catalogs of Chess, Stax, Motown, Philadelphia International Records and Def Jam Records.
Hinds, the daughter of singer, Macy Gray found art while trying to uncover her own niche among her talented family members. She has already been awarded and recognized for her work. Her talent led to having the opportunity to choose between attending four colleges to further her artistic training.
Currently a freshman at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, she happily describes her experience while preparing for her finals as, “having to be creative for what feels like all 24 hours of the day.” Hinds told rolling out about her involvement in Motown to Def Jam, moving to New York to fulfill her dream and her journey in becoming a well-rounded artist.
Did you always know you wanted to be an artist?
I started pursuing art because I wanted to be a fashion designer. I come from a talented family. My sister is a photographer and my brother is a musician. When I started out, I was frustrated because I pretty much sucked at it. I tried singing at one point but I can’t sing at all. I stuck with learning art and I grew from wanting to be a fashion designer into becoming a visual artist.
How does your mother feel about your work?
My mother is pretty supportive. Sometimes it seems like she believes in me more than I do. She has been asking me to create something for one of her latest projects.
Describe your pieces for the Motown to Def Jam show.
My first piece titled, But, I’m Golden is in reference to the song, “The Kids” by Phyllis Hyman. It is a portrait of my sister wearing a crown. It’s my way of saying ‘I may be a kid but you should still respect me because I’m Golden.’ My second piece is inspired by the song “The Painter,” by The Rance Allen Group. Overall, I want to bring something new to the show. I know there will be some really great stuff on display, so my competitive side is coming out.
by Simone Waugh
