Bel Fame Port-de-Paux
20×30
"This work is born from the journey of rediscovery — not only of self, but of lineage, memory, and the women who shaped me before I ever had words for who I was. My path as an artist began the moment I stepped outside of my identity as a worker and asked, 'Who am I beyond what I produce?' That question led me to portraiture — and ultimately, to my maternal grandmother, the woman who first taught me the language of tenderness, structure, and spiritual grounding.
As a child, she was a fortress of love — present, unwavering, and always there to translate the confusing parts of life: God, family, tradition, and the quiet expectations of what it meant to be a “lady.” She was my safe place. And yet, as I grew into adulthood and began to define myself outside of the identities others had assigned me, I also began to wonder: Who was she, really? Outside of being my grandmother? Who was she as a young woman, as a dreamer, as someone who navigated the world in her own right before titles and roles defined her?
That inquiry became a puzzle — piecing together fragments of her story through the memories of family members who knew her best. With each conversation, I felt her humanity deepen, her complexity unfold. I began to see how our lives, though shaped by different times, echoed the same questions, the same desires, and the same strength.
There was a moment in this journey that transformed everything for me: learning that a woman’s eggs — the ones that will become her children and grandchildren — begin forming while she is still in her mother’s womb. That means a part of me was physically present inside my grandmother while she carried my mother. That intergenerational connection is not just spiritual or emotional — it’s biological. It made perfect sense of why I’ve always felt closest to her, as if our souls have been intertwined since before I took my first breath.
This portrait is more than a tribute-to her, to me, to the women who came before and the ones who will come after. It honors the intimate, often invisible bonds between grandmothers and granddaughters, and the quiet resilience passed down through blood, memory, and love. In seeking her, I found myself."
20×30
"This work is born from the journey of rediscovery — not only of self, but of lineage, memory, and the women who shaped me before I ever had words for who I was. My path as an artist began the moment I stepped outside of my identity as a worker and asked, 'Who am I beyond what I produce?' That question led me to portraiture — and ultimately, to my maternal grandmother, the woman who first taught me the language of tenderness, structure, and spiritual grounding.
As a child, she was a fortress of love — present, unwavering, and always there to translate the confusing parts of life: God, family, tradition, and the quiet expectations of what it meant to be a “lady.” She was my safe place. And yet, as I grew into adulthood and began to define myself outside of the identities others had assigned me, I also began to wonder: Who was she, really? Outside of being my grandmother? Who was she as a young woman, as a dreamer, as someone who navigated the world in her own right before titles and roles defined her?
That inquiry became a puzzle — piecing together fragments of her story through the memories of family members who knew her best. With each conversation, I felt her humanity deepen, her complexity unfold. I began to see how our lives, though shaped by different times, echoed the same questions, the same desires, and the same strength.
There was a moment in this journey that transformed everything for me: learning that a woman’s eggs — the ones that will become her children and grandchildren — begin forming while she is still in her mother’s womb. That means a part of me was physically present inside my grandmother while she carried my mother. That intergenerational connection is not just spiritual or emotional — it’s biological. It made perfect sense of why I’ve always felt closest to her, as if our souls have been intertwined since before I took my first breath.
This portrait is more than a tribute-to her, to me, to the women who came before and the ones who will come after. It honors the intimate, often invisible bonds between grandmothers and granddaughters, and the quiet resilience passed down through blood, memory, and love. In seeking her, I found myself."
20×30
"This work is born from the journey of rediscovery — not only of self, but of lineage, memory, and the women who shaped me before I ever had words for who I was. My path as an artist began the moment I stepped outside of my identity as a worker and asked, 'Who am I beyond what I produce?' That question led me to portraiture — and ultimately, to my maternal grandmother, the woman who first taught me the language of tenderness, structure, and spiritual grounding.
As a child, she was a fortress of love — present, unwavering, and always there to translate the confusing parts of life: God, family, tradition, and the quiet expectations of what it meant to be a “lady.” She was my safe place. And yet, as I grew into adulthood and began to define myself outside of the identities others had assigned me, I also began to wonder: Who was she, really? Outside of being my grandmother? Who was she as a young woman, as a dreamer, as someone who navigated the world in her own right before titles and roles defined her?
That inquiry became a puzzle — piecing together fragments of her story through the memories of family members who knew her best. With each conversation, I felt her humanity deepen, her complexity unfold. I began to see how our lives, though shaped by different times, echoed the same questions, the same desires, and the same strength.
There was a moment in this journey that transformed everything for me: learning that a woman’s eggs — the ones that will become her children and grandchildren — begin forming while she is still in her mother’s womb. That means a part of me was physically present inside my grandmother while she carried my mother. That intergenerational connection is not just spiritual or emotional — it’s biological. It made perfect sense of why I’ve always felt closest to her, as if our souls have been intertwined since before I took my first breath.
This portrait is more than a tribute-to her, to me, to the women who came before and the ones who will come after. It honors the intimate, often invisible bonds between grandmothers and granddaughters, and the quiet resilience passed down through blood, memory, and love. In seeking her, I found myself."