Research shows that art can help to relieve stress and relax your mind. To help spread positivity and inspiration, we collaborated with artists to create artwork reflecting what our motto—shine from the inside out—means to them.
This week, we connect with artist Deun Ivory.
Tell us a little bit about you.
My work is inspired by black women and affirming the truth about our beauty, our worth, our magic and our power.
What does wellness mean to you?
Wellness is important in my life because I am at my best when I take care of myself. That alone empowers me to indulge in self-care as much as possible. I practice wellness in my life when I choose to pray and meditate before reaching for my phone in the morning. When I commit to my workout every day. When I choose to say no to something I really don’t want to do.
Why were you excited to partner with Rae? What are your favorite Rae products?
I am excited about this collaboration with Rae because it aligns with who I am and how I want others to experience life. Wellness is a beautiful gateway to discovering our most authentic, loving selves—we deserve that. And I’m happy that I get to create artwork that inspires people to own their power.
My favorite Rae product is the Beauty Drops because I love elevating my water experience with a product that further nourishes my hair, skin and nails.
What does ‘shine from inside’ mean to you? How did this come through in your artwork?
For me, ‘shine from inside’ means taking up space expansively and unapologetically knowing that walking in my truth empowers other women to do the same.
When creating this artwork, I represented the concept in the regality of black beauty. Most of my work is rooted in minimalism and simplicity and I wanted to maintain that approach for this project. The creative process was easeful mainly because I knew exactly what I wanted to celebrate: femininity, natural hair, and the way neon kisses black skin. The process was organic and it allowed me to play with a color that you don’t generally see in my work.
