La Femme Fatale

Nashville artist Nadine Shillingford enjoys bringing her ideas to life using charcoal on paper. Her art captures people in everyday situations and evokes their spirit by highlighting their facial expressions. It’s a whimsical approach that gives vitality to her work. A self-taught artist, Shillingford has mastered her craft through trial-and-error and a lot of practice. Thanks to her disciplined, daily social media posts, she has attracted an international following for her art.

Shillingford’s exhibition at the MACC played off the stock character of the femme fatale. In fiction, these beautiful and seductive women bring disaster to men with whom they become romantically involved. To be sure, Shillingford depicts the femme fatale as a powerful, independent and sometimes mysterious female character. But her nuanced and expressive renderings also address cultural perspectives and historical anxieties surrounding Black female agency and sexuality.

Through layered marks, soft color, and expressive contrasts, the works explore femininity, resilience, aging and quiet strength across the Black diaspora. The raw immediacy of charcoal paired with the warmth of pastel creates intimate portraits that honor lineage, memory and cultural identity. Timed to coincide with Black History Month, the exhibition celebrated Black womanhood, lived experience and the ongoing legacy of storytelling through art.