MUNTHE ART MONDAY CHELSEA BOATEY

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

My name is Chelsea Boatey and I’m a multidisciplinary artist based in New York. My work lives at the intersection of fine art, fashion, and digital expression. I create bold, colorful, and playful pieces that explore identity, imagination, and joy—often with a 3D-inspired technique. Beyond the canvas, I work in social impact—building partnerships that center equity, creativity, and community. Everything I do, whether through art or advocacy, is about creating beauty with purpose.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

Being a woman—especially a woman of African descent—has deeply shaped how I move through the world. It’s made me more attuned to nuance, more intentional with my voice, and more grounded in the “why” behind what I create. There’s a quiet strength that comes from carrying so many histories within you, and turning that into something beautiful. At times, it’s meant pushing against limitations or being underestimated—but it’s also gifted me with a powerful sense of clarity and purpose.

Chelsea is wearing Babyloma dress.

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a woman in the arts?

One of the most challenging things is having to constantly prove that your work and your voice belongs. There can be a subtle pressure to shrink or dilute your vision to fit within existing systems or trends. But what I’ve learned is that our softness, our intuition, our complexity, these are our superpowers. The challenge is real, but it’s also where so much of the beauty comes from. I’ve found strength in creating outside of the lines and letting my work speak for itself.

Can you name some other female (artist) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

There are so many, but three that continue to inspire me deeply are Lina Iris Viktor, Simone Leigh, and Kara Walker. Lina’s work is pure alchemy—her use of gold, geometry, and myth creates a visual language that feels both ancient and futuristic. She reminds me of the sacredness of Blackness and the power of creating your own iconography.

Simone Leigh’s work moves me in quieter, more intimate ways. The way she centers Black womanhood with such dignity, softness, and strength—it’s almost spiritual. Her sculptures feel like ancestors made visible.

And then there’s Kara Walker, whose work has always challenged and confronted. She doesn’t shy away from complexity, and she’s unafraid to hold up a mirror to history. That kind of courage is something I deeply admire.

Each of these women create from a place of deep truth—and that truth lives in their work. It’s a reminder to me that art can be both beautiful and brave.

What would you like people to notice in your artwork?

I’d love for people to feel the joy, movement, and energy in my work. There’s an intentional use of color and texture that’s meant to uplift and transport you. My pieces are rooted in emotional clarity—what it looks like to create from a place of peace, not pain. I want the work to feel like a portal: playful, bold, and deeply human.

Chelsea is wearing Babyloma dress.