AALIYAH PITTS

Death Before Life, 2023
Charcoal on paper

Agony, 2023
Charcoal on paper

Judgment, 2023
Charcoal on paper

Forgive Humanity, 2022
Charcoal on paper

Unbound, 2023
Charcoal on paper

Emergence, 2023
Charcoal on paper

Itzcali, 2023
Charcoal on paper


Through the use of symbolism and pushing the boundaries of charcoal as a material, Aaliyah Pitts provides a glimpse into her grounding in her faith in God. In light of the presence of temptations, wrongful assumptions, judgment, hypocrisy, and moments of despair, she illustrates the need for prayer and forgiveness. Using techniques of Surrealism, she tells a story of her value in morality and understanding in the human flaw (sin) rather than individualistic judgment. Pitts’ breathtaking marks and painstaking details are used to illustrate the hypocrisy of judgment that she has continuously grappled with when trying to embody the virtues of her faith. By using a mix of harsh lines, erasures, and shading, Pitts is able to capture emotion as she illustrates the beauty in the pain of life and begins to tell the stories that are usually silenced.


Pitts uses contrast, shading, and detail to showcase portraits of underrepresented women. Unbound to traditional Western standards of beauty and femininity, Pitts captures the divine beauty of black and brown women, poised and resilient. The artist makes a deliberate effort to empower and highlight women of color as notable models of purity and grace. The woman captivates the viewer and gazes back at society, making her presence known. The highlights represent the bright future ahead of her and her graceful acceptance. Along with the physical beauty of these women, Pitts’ portraits showcase the beauty of their existence, their struggles, their triumphs, and their elegance through it all.

Marks Left Behind, 2022
Acrylic on canvas

Natural Forms, 2022
Acrylic on canvas

Truth, 2022
Acrylic on canvas

Pitts limited herself to four shades of blue acrylic paint when creating these works. In Marks Left Behind, she tested the limits of how her hands could move paint and used this element of touch to portray the way that others may leave their mark on a person and their life. Pitts recognizes all the individuals who have influenced her life (for better or for worse) and the impact their marks left which have led to her development into the young woman she is today. The interconnectedness in Natural Forms notes the shared complexity of the wave and body and their ever-so-changing nature. Allowing the paint to flow with bold strokes of color, she develops her depiction of the eye as she creates Truth. The eye acts as a symbol of truth and perception which defines so much of our experience and the way we walk in our own story each and everyday.