VELICIA GOURDIN

Velicia Gourdin began her creative career as a fashion illustrator and graphic designer. Later she continued to pursue her passion for fashion illustration, creating work for, among others, The New York Times, Norma Kamali, and We Are Onyx. She has continually focused on the portrayal of women of color in her work to raise awareness about the importance of diversity and inclusion within the fashion industry. Over the last several years, she has focused exclusively on her art. In 2019, Velicia was recruited by the Pacific Northwest College of Art to teach drawing online. Velicia also enjoys a love of history—her family history, the history of fashion, and the history of Black people in America. Since 2021 she has been working with the City of Boston and a veterans-focused organization to finalize the creation of a park named in honor of her grandfather, Justice Edward O. Gourdin, the 1924 Silver Medalist Olympian in the long jump, the first Black and Native American Brigadier General in the Army National Guard and the first African American District Court judge in Massachusetts The park recently opened in August of 2023. Velicia plans to establish a foundation in her grandfather's name to provide young adults with scholarships that highlight track and field. She also hopes to utilize her artistry to showcase the achievements of Black female entertainers such as Josephine Baker, in the form of a graphic novel series in order to raise awareness of Black achievement.
–BIOGRAPHY COMPILED BY B. ROAKE

Velicia has been the subject of blog articles in Urban Bush Babes and AFROPUNK. VG counts amongst her many clients The New York Times Style magazine and has participated in exhibitions in the U.K.

“Art is a line around your thoughts.” – Gustav Klimt

INSTAGRAM FEED - @VELICIAGOURDIN