Artist Bio:
Mya Osborne is a Caribbean-American oil painter and mixed-media artist based in Orlando, Florida. Mya earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and is currently attending the University of Central Florida, pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree in Emerging Media Studio Art and Design. Her work focuses on those effected by gun violence in schools, aiming to give them a voice in a social climate that tends to look past them just days after tragedy strikes. Her goal is to continue conversations long before and after school shootings occur, so they remain in the forefront of viewers’ minds. Looking ahead, she aims to expand her impact through large-scale installations, collaborative projects, as well as becoming a gun reform activist and professor worthy of such titles.
Artist Statement:
My work focuses on spaces that are deeply familiar to us: schools. The innocence of education coupled with the stark reality of violence is a uniquely American problem, and I seek to challenge the complacency surrounding it. As a painter, I explore the difference between idealistic school experiences against the reality students in America face daily. Classrooms, hallways, and playgrounds. Spaces that should be filled with energy and the joy of learning have become symbols of danger and loss. This research aims to reframe the narrative surrounding these tragedies by focusing on the perspectives of those directly impacted—students, parents, and educators. By emphasizing how these groups prepare, cope, and move past these atrocities, perspectives we often don’t get a chance to see, the artwork is able to foster a more profound understanding of the emotional and societal consequences school shootings have. It is my greatest intention that this body of work constitutes a vital platform for dialogue, giving voice to individuals and communities frequently overshadowed in the aftermath of violence. Through this lens, the work aspires to prompt critical conversations and inspire action, ensuring these issues remain at the forefront of societal awareness.
