BIO & Artist Statement

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Yvette  Rock is a painter, object-maker, photographer, and performer. She graduated with a  Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1997  and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Michigan in 1999. She is currently pursuing a K-12 Certificate in Visual Arts Education from  College for  Creative Studies. Yvette has been a teaching artist with InsideOut  Literary Arts for 25 years and continues to partner with organizations  to bring  visual arts to children. In 2012 she founded Live Coal Gallery, LLC  (now Rock Gallery of Art, LLC) – a small business in Detroit. LCG was a recipient of the 2017,  2019, and 2021 Knight Arts Challenge. Rock is the Founder and Executive  Director of Live Coal, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization transforming  lives and neighborhoods through art, community development, and  education. She is a 2019 Facing Change: Documenting Detroit Fellow and a 2024 Seed and Bloom: Detroit Fellow. Rock lives in  Detroit with her husband and five children.

Photo by Jeff Cancelosi (c)2024

My work examines the quest for freedom and the passage of time, weaving together themes of memory, migration, identity, and systemic oppression. Time, as both a construct and experience, offers a lens to understand the past, reflect on the present, and imagine the future.

What Comes From Dirt, inspired by a photograph of dirt from a lot I own in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood, symbolizes resilience in the face of struggle. The dirt represents life’s source, transformation, and the strength of the color Black. It’s a metaphor for my personal journey and the power of community. This theme continues in Memory, Migration, and Movement, where the dirt becomes a boat, symbolizing forced and voluntary migration. Historical events like the Middle Passage, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the Civil Rights Movement, and my family's escape from oppression in Suriname are key influences.

Infiltration of Institutional White addresses the persistent influence of white supremacy. White drips over vibrant surfaces represent the infiltration of elitist and racist ideologies, while the colors beneath signify resilience and resistance. These works highlight the tension between domination and survival.

Motherhood, in its biological, aesthetic, and spiritual forms, is another core theme in my practice. As a mother of five, I often explore motherhood through abstract shapes, such as rounded “bellies” and flowing lines that evoke umbilical cords. These symbols reflect both personal and collective experiences of nurturing, creation, and connection.

Haircestry™ explores the cultural and political significance of Black hair, addressing trauma, criminalization, and identity. Drawing from artist Sonya Clark, this series uses hair to discuss lineage and ancestry, illustrating how hair ties us to the past while shaping our future.