Artist Bio + Statement

Deja Patterson is an artist who is currently based in the New York City area. She is a painter who addresses societal discrimination against plus sized people through her work. Voluptuous women are prominent in her examinations of body image, race and sexuality. She earned her Bachelor of Art in Art from Tougaloo College in 2017. She then received her Master of Fine Art in Studio Art from Queens College in 2020.

I am a painter who focuses on highlighting the beauty of the plus-sized body. As a 300 pound woman, I have faced various forms of discrimination due to my large frame. In response to these unfortunate events, I’ve decided to use my platform as an artist to promote body positivity. I purposefully accentuate things that women are traditionally taught to conceal or lose, such as: back rolls, belly fat and cellulite. My principal aim is to encourage other fat people to unapologetically accept their physical appearances. I’m not brave -- I’m delicious.