The Feminine Abandon of Danielle Mckinney

Danielle Mckinney, a New Jersey-based artist, found solace in painting in 2020 during the global lockdown. Transitioning from photography to acrylics and then oils, Mckinney began creating vibrant interiors featuring solitary Black women in moments of unbridled relaxation. Her first solo American museum exhibition, titled Tell Me More, is currently on display at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. The exhibition showcases Mckinney’s five-year artistic journey, capturing a distinct feminine perspective that celebrates rest as a form of beauty by immortalizing private moments of ease on intimate canvases.

The exhibition space at the Rose Art Museum is reminiscent of Mckinney’s paintings, with plush blue benches inviting visitors to lounge and absorb the art. The curatorial arrangement of the show is strategic, grouping paintings based on the subjects’ unique postures of repose, with never more than three pieces on a wall. While most of Mckinney’s figures are depicted with eyes closed, immersed in their own thoughts, a couple of works disrupt this pattern by making direct eye contact with the viewer. This intentional break in the narrative creates a sense of unease, as if a door has been abruptly shut. Only one other painting, “Shelter” (2023), features a subject with open eyes, gazing past a butterfly perched on her fingertips.

Mckinney’s artistic process involves creating templates from vintage magazines to determine composition. Works like “Shelter,” “Moth” (2021), and “Tell Me More” (2023) exemplify her incorporation of traditional beauty elements from the fashion world, such as close cropping, slender figures, and splashes of adornment like her signature cadmium nails. In her more recent pieces, like “From Square One” and “Fate” (both 2025), Mckinney draws inspiration from modernist masters like Picasso and Matisse, using loose, vibrant strokes to capture the liberated spirit of her subjects.

Danielle Mckinney: Tell Me More is a testament to Mckinney’s evolving style and influences, showcasing opulent interiors where Black women revel in unguarded moments of solitude. The exhibition and Mckinney’s paintings alike emphasize contemplation as the ultimate luxury, suggesting that indulging in moments of exquisite beauty and self-care is both a privilege and a necessity.

The exhibition will run at the Rose Art Museum in Waltham, Massachusetts, through January 4, 2026. Curated by Dr. Gannit Ankori, the Henry and Lois Foster Director and Chief Curator, this showcase of Mckinney’s work offers a unique perspective on beauty, relaxation, and introspection.