Biography

Danielle De Jesus is an artist who’s paintings tell the story of her life growing up in Bushwick Brooklyn. Juxtaposing her experience as a Puerto Rican in the diaspora with the gentrification of her home neighborhood, she tells the story of displacement through various mediums including U.S currency. Danielle De Jesus’ background is in photography and she utilizes her images of the people native to Bushwick as a reference to tell the story of Bushwick’s displaced residents. As someone who has personally experienced the effects of gentrification, Danielle De Jesus aims to highlight the relationships and intimacy of the people effected by gentrification which consist primarily of people of color and low-income homes. Danielle De Jesus also paints images depicting the story and history of the Puerto Rican people both in Puerto Rico and in the diaspora. Danielle paints on dollar bills to emphasize the effect that capitalism has on the colonial status of Puerto Rico throughout history.