Public Health Informatics Institute Collector's Program

My name is Vessna Scheff. I am an artist based in Philadelphia, PA.
Through my art, I reclaim who I am, what I have to say, and how I want to say it. Art, has always been my space of freedom. Art allows me to be as big, loud and powerful as I want to be- to encourage others to live boldly, challenge structures, and create experiences to connect with ourselves and others.

Freedom in art for me involves learning to recognize disenfranchisement, detaching its weight from my shoulders, to let it be carried by collective struggle. I am inspired by stories of resilience and revolution, in particular by Assata Shakur, Anne Moody, Elaine Brown, Malcolm X, James Baldwin and Angela Davis. The freedom I achieve through creating comes from my passion for beauty and the power of people. Using a combination of watercolor, wood, mylar, poetry, beats, movement and voice, I orchestrate paintings, installation works and performances where we may challenge our fears, craft our freedom and nurture our empowerment.