Mercer Artist: Anastasia Winfield

Anastasia Winfield, a freshman art major on the pre-med track, is an artist who uses her talent to provoke conversation through addressing politically charged social justice issues.

Winfield began painting when she received her first easel and paint set at age 7.

“When I first started, I just painted a lot of ugly things and mixed the wrong things, but I just wanted to be an artist,” Winfield said.

She began taking traditional art classes as a sophomore in high school, and her classes allowed her to hone her talent.

“Looking back at my work when I first started, it looks really bad to me,” Winfield said. She noted that years of practice, learning from different teachers and continuously practicing different techniques aided her growth as an artist.

Winfield uses art as an escape, but she said it doesn’t take away stress because she is a perfectionist — it just allows her to take her mind off of school. She said she sees art as a way for her to channel how she feels about events in her life.

While the transition to college can often be difficult, the transition has only helped Winfield to evolve as an artist. Taking an art class from Professor Eric O’Dell allowed her to learn the basics again and improve upon her form. The art class also provided a source of inspiration, as watching her fellow classmates grow as artists was exciting to Winfield.

In college, Winfield has also experienced more freedom artistically. When taking classes in high school, she said her art teachers would often encourage her to shy away from more controversial pieces. Knowing that her work was going to be judged by someone who could potentially be offended by her message made her anxious while producing her artwork. Being in college has allowed her to expand her range and freely express her feelings without fear of being judged.

Winfield wants to be a neurologist, yet she still has a fervent passion for art. While she is unsure of where her art will take her due to its unpredictability, she has set goals and aims to continue creating. Her next endeavor is to establish her own style of painting.

“When people see my paintings, I want them to know that I created that,” she said.

“I want to create more pieces continuing with the social justice theme,” Winfield said. Winfield is also considering starting a series highlighting influential African American change-makers of the past.

Winfield sells prints of her “Black Lives Matter” series and custom portraits. To learn more about Anastasia’s art, follow her on Instagram at @anastasiawhitfieldart.