Solange Knowles, who has shunned the spotlight in recent years, was honored with New York University’s 2022 Global Trailblazer Award for Creative and Artistic Excellence.
She received the prestigious award appropriately on International Women’s Day, March 9.
Solange, sister of Beyoncé, was honored for her work as a solo artist and for establishing Saint Heron, “a multidisciplinary platform, studio, creative agency and curatorial project.”
The platform’s mission, according to a press release, is “to build spaces that engage conversation in thoughtful, original works that amplify vital voices and conceptual imagining across art, design, architecture, fashion, and literature.”
“I’m so incredibly honored to be recognized for my own art as well as the work I’ve done through Saint Heron,” Solange said. “Long ago, I decided it was important for me to create the work and spaces I wanted to see and be a part of.”
She added: “The vision for Saint Heron has been to build a space that engages radical conceptual imaginings across all mediums of creation and that uplifts works created by our own artists.”
Solange’s friends, such as filmmaker Melina Matsoukas and artists Toyin Ojih Odutola and Wangechi Mutu, were part of the digital celebration to honor her.
Dr. Karen Jackson-Weaver of NYU’s Global Faculty Engagement and Innovation Advancement, described Knowles as “forging bold and innovative pathways in visual arts, music and digital culture. Solange epitomizes creative and artistic excellence in all that she does and we are delighted to honor her with this well-deserved recognition.”
Knowles said she “feels an urgency in building and preserving collections and archives for future generations in an institution built for them. This work is very important to me, and I’m excited to continue.”
Photo courtesy of the artist (solange.blackplanet.com).
