“In Unapologetic, artist Sontonya Necheal debuts a powerful new body of mixed-media abstractions shaped by lived experience, emotional intuition, and bold material experimentation. Known for her raw layers of spray paint, acrylic, fabric, charcoal, pastels, and handmade paper, Necheal constructs surfaces that hum with tension—grids interrupted by chaos, color fields fractured by texture, and compositions that carry the weight of memory and the spark of renewal.
Fresh from creating a 48×48 commissioned centerpiece for a multimillion-dollar home featured on an upcoming reality television series, Necheal arrives at Chloe Mae Studios at a pivotal moment in her career. The televised project—where luxury interiors meet creative pressure—spotlights her instinctive process and the unapologetic energy of her abstractions. These works don’t simply occupy space; they transform it, inviting viewers to linger, to look closer, and to feel deeply.
In pieces such as Ebony, emotions rise through material: the low hum of layered black, the scrape of charcoal like breath moving through grief, cracked textures asserting survival, and glimmers of light offering quiet resilience. Necheal embraces imperfection as inspiration, trusting accidents, intuition, and spiritual grounding to guide her hand.
Her work has been exhibited nationally, with placements at the Morris Smithsonian Museum in Morristown, NJ, and the African American Museum in Dallas. International residencies at Château Orqueveaux in France and Eutopia in Kavala, Greece—as well as a permanent installation in Paris—reflect her expanding global presence. Through her practice, Necheal continues to inspire women to claim their stories and their creativity without apology.”