The Last Toast

Ese is a Houston-based figurative artist whose work explores memory, identity and resilience through psychologically charged portraiture. Working in oil, soft pastel and charcoal, she constructs layered visual narratives that connect personal history with broader cultural and ancestral memory. Her practice is grounded in historical fashion references, symbolic motifs, and the lived experiences of Black communities, creating portraits that honor endurance and presence. Ese’s advanced rheumatoid arthritis and wheelchair use has shaped her studio practice with adaptive methods which inform her art’s process and perspective. This lived experience is central to her commitment to visibility, embodiment, and survival within her work, she says. Ese’s recent exhibitions include Everyday People at the Obama Presidential Library, University of Chicago, The Big Show 2026 at Lawndale Art Center, the Harris County Juried Exhibition at Sawyer Yards, and the 2026 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.