Seen by Both Heaven & Earth
Seen by Both Heaven and Earth
A Profile of Alexis Eke by Andrea Nwabuike
Hanging above the fireplace of my childhood home is a painting. From a dark and solemn background emerges six women and a little girl—we call them the church ladies. Their rich mahogany skin is clothed in silky gowns of ivory, coral and olive. Adorned in feminine pearls and delicate flowers, they exude an elegant softness; everything Black women are but are rarely allowed to be. Their eyes are focused, commanding the attention of those who have the privilege of being in their presence. When the church ladies were welcomed into our home, it was the first time I was able to see myself within a piece of visual art. The second, was when I discovered the work of Alexis Eke.
With soft hues of blush and brown, smooth lines dancing into slicked edges, rounded noses and full lips; Alexis Eke’s illustrations invite her audience to behold the beauty and complexity of Blackness. Joining the gaze of the church ladies, the eyes of Eke’s subjects sing of a bold confidence and vulnerability; an unwavering commitment to being seen.
In a majority of Eke’s work, she features mysterious white lines that slope down from the eyes of the subject to the mouth—a trademark of her style and a reminder to herself and her audience to fix our eyes above, on the true source of light. Eke’s work is a mirror, reflecting a divine vision of what, and who, we ought to see in ourselves and in each other. When I peer into those mirrors, I am filled with the comforting assurance that Heaven sees me and that space is being made for me to be seen here on Earth.
I was eager to talk with Alexis, partly to share my admiration for her work but also to delve into her story as a Black creative and as a woman of faith. Her voice was warm and gentle, amplifying the conviction behind her words. Under the tutelage of her artist mother, Eke embraced her identity as an artist early on. “I always knew, since I was in elementary school, that I wanted to be an artist and that I was an artistic person... Having the support of my mom from the beginning was really helpful in allowing me to be more confident to actually present myself that way.”
In 2019, Alexis had a personal experience with God that transformed her outlook on life and art. She explained, “I had a really powerful encounter with God where I just knew that He was real... At that point, there was no way I could just dismiss it and keep on living in the world... I realized that the career that I have, and the good things that God has blessed me with in terms of having a career—being in the spaces that I’m in and having the amount of followers on social media—I just wanted to really be a good steward of that.”
There is a striking humility with which Eke approaches her work. It is as though she creates with her hands outstretched, palms heavenward, making room for God to create through her. She describes her art as, “another way to depend more on God. Because even the fact that I am a creative person with these abilities is not by my own doing anyway. God has blessed me.”
Referring to her artistic process and conceptualization, Eke explains, “When I was in a worldly frame of mind, I depended on my own ability and my own sufficiency in terms of how creative can I go... Now it’s turned more into spending time in prayer about what I can make for God that that will glorify Him and help other people.”
Eke’s art faithfully upholds her calling to glorify God and serve others, especially those who are far too often overlooked and ignored in art and design spaces. Her piece entitled Root, part of the 143 I Love You exhibit displayed in Toronto’s Union Station, depicts the love and pride of the Black family. Eke’s collaboration with Shea Moisture, a staple haircare brand in the Black community, celebrates the versatility and power of Black hair.
The piece I find most moving is her work dedicated to the many Black men and women whose lives have been marred by the injustice of police brutality. The words, “Let justice roll down like waters,” from Amos 5:24, appear before a grieved Black woman surrounded by other Black and Brown faces in mourning. The proceeds of the piece were donated to Chris Redd’s COVID-19 protest relief fund, aiding those who sustained injuries while protesting and offering bail and court expense relief.
It is clear that Eke’s work does not shy away from the challenging realities of this life. Her art serves as a vessel, delivering the comfort and hope of Christ to her audience. In explaining- ing how she has coped with the pandemics of disease and racism in the past year, Eke explained, “It’s really just spending a lot of time in the Word. It does help you to keep having hope, but it also allows you to see what’s going on in the world with a different perspective. When we see people being killed and all these terrible things... there is space to grieve, but also to spend time in prayer and even interceding for these people that we see in the news and what’s going on. Being in the word helps me to remember to have the mind of Christ in all situations and His heart for all people.”
Prayer and study of the word are disciplines Eke repeatedly referred to as pillars of her artistic process and spiritual growth, but she also shared of the accountability and encouragement she has found in community.
With a deep smile, she spoke of the Black women in her church who have poured into her life. “Being able to see an example of a Christian, godly woman, and how that actually looks in real life has been really helpful for me... receiving wise counsel is really important in life as a whole; being able to get that from other Black women around me is pretty amazing.”
She also shared about the care she received from an elementary school teacher, remembering, “she was the only Black female teacher I had, like, in my whole life. But she made a really big impact on me, especially because there wasn’t a lot of Black kids at my school... she just let me know that she sees me in the room.”
There is a sacredness in being seen by another person. It serves as a reminder that we are valuable and that our existence matters. Out of her own experience of being seen, mentored and discipled, Eke has taken on the responsibility of offering the same gift to others.
She noted the challenges of not see- ing herself represented in her undergraduate studies in design, “I was the only Black girl in the room and in a lot of my courses—and that did discourage me a bit, just because I wasn’t sure if I even had the look to be an artist in the professional world. I think when I started making artwork that I wanted to see, I feel like that helped me to make room for myself... I kind of made my own room. And, the more I just kept making artwork that was more of a contemporary representation of girls like me today, it did help with my confidence in terms of standing up for myself and in professional settings. Seeing that there were other young girls like myself that felt encouraged looking at my artwork also encouraged me a lot to keep on going.”
Eke went on to share her intention of using her career to create opportunities for other Black women. “If I can get to a certain spot then I can open up more opportunities for girls that look like me as well. That was the main thought that was driving me to keep working and making room for myself in professional spaces: there are more girls like me that need these same opportunities—and if I can get them, they will have a better chance in the future to have those same opportunities that I got.”
They say it takes a village to raise a child but the same could be said for art. It requires a village to produce art that can comfort, challenge and inspire. It takes a village to create art that sees and respond to our needs, hopes and fears.
For Alexis Eke, that village is comprised of the communities of heaven and Earth. With the Spirit of God within her and the support of the Black women around her, Eke’s work will continue to be a divine gift of light to her community.
Andrea Nwabuike
Writer & Mental Health Counsellor
Andrea has published in Love Is Moving Magazine
Illustrations by Alexis Eke