Meet Essie Shaw & CJ Anderson

If you know Bought Beauty, you know that our northwest function window is extremely near to our coronary heart. More than just visual merchandising, we look at our shop window as our possibility to outwardly stand for Obtained Beauty’s persona, core values, and unequivocal enjoy and help for our local community. For our summertime 2022 display screen we’ve teamed up with area artists, activists  and artistic geniuses, Essie Shaw and CJ Anderson and we’re bursting with pride around it!

Designed to celebrate our very most loved month of the year – Satisfaction Thirty day period, they have produced an entryway straight out of a rainbow-colored butterfly dream. The duo was type enough to fulfill us at the Acquired Elegance headquarters and chat about the process. 

Obtained Natural beauty: June is fingers down our preferred month at Received Beauty due to the fact it is Pleasure – an prospect to clearly show our neighborhood our like and guidance of equality for all. We are significantly so fired up to collaborate with you equally on this undertaking! Explain to us, what does Delight thirty day period suggest to you?

ES: Satisfaction thirty day period in Utah is about local community and producing protected spaces for marginalized individuals that really do not often sense like they can exist as their genuine selves in their daily lifetime. People today that really do not live right here are often so stunned when I communicate to them about the SLC delight celebrations. In such a conservative point out and city they don’t count on there to be these kinds of a huge LGBTQ+ existence. We have a quite vibrant and proud queer community here. I display up for pleasure each 12 months since I experience it is so important for other people that look like me, specially younger people that are in a place of exploration to know that being queer can search a ton of unique means. You are legitimate and there is no proper or incorrect way to rejoice pride. At the conclude of the day it’s about self-affirmation, and coming together with other folks that will settle for you for who you are.

CJ Anderson: Pride month is a time of self-expression and really like! To me, I am reminded of how vital it is to adore and acknowledge one particular yet another. 

GB: Becoming a feminine-owned and operated organization, we are normally right here to celebrate our fellow boss babes and business owners. Can you inform us a bit about your entrepreneurial operate in the arts?

ES: My artwork is loud and significant, unapologetic and unrefined. I produce, to consider up place, and represent many others like me. I imagine that art is extra than a inventive outlet. It is a type of activism. Being an artist is a resource. I approach artwork as a way to visually tell a tale. If I can succeed in capturing your notice, my hope is that it will cause you to cease and imagine, then study and do.

CA: Sweet Jade is all factors type, staging, and layout. Anything from photoshoot staging, wardrobe consulting, visible artwork displays, live clearly show choreography, and a lot more! If it involves a visual eye to make every thing come alongside one another and look cohesive and appealing, I am on it! 

GB: You two are quite the dynamic duo! How did you meet?

ES: Cj and I fulfilled a few yrs ago at a retail store that we labored at and she was my manager! We turned good friends and even however we no extended get the job done with each other at Blue, we collaborate usually for the reason that we make a wonderful staff. 

CA: We satisfied at a earlier place of employment in which I was Essie’s manager. The 1st time I spoke to her was in an job interview for the job. I recall pondering ” This girl is a powerhouse, she’s in this planet to make a change. What is she doing interviewing for retail? She ought to be well known.” I am so happy I bought to perform so carefully with her. It sales opportunities to a great friendship and great partnership in our artwork. 

GB: Did you increase up practicing artwork?

ES: When I was a kid I was normally experimenting and I had a lot of pleasurable creating art out of founding items. I started out making with extra intention in superior faculty. Generating art was a interest for me for a lengthy time, but I didn’t consider myself an artist or believe that I could make it a job right up until the very last handful of a long time. Imposter syndrome probably had a large amount to do with that. Now, wanting back I understand that remaining an artist has often been component of my identification. 

CA: As a child, I normally experimented with to discover unique varieties of artwork to best allow my creative imagination out. Drawing, crafting, tunes… Nothing stuck right until I identified interior structure. Which is when I realized I experienced a passion for visible display screen and staging. 

GB: What are your favorite mediums?

ES: Most of the items I produce are acrylic on canvas with 3D aspects included into each portray. I enjoy functioning with silk flowers and other components like moss, stones, wooden, fabric, and paper.

CA: I like to refer to myself as a “Interest Hopper”. I consider different forms of mediums often, just to expertise new matters. I adore to get crafty and develop art with my fingers. But so significantly, my beloved seems to be setting up scenes for photo shoots. Anything from getting a area, picking and arranging props and wardrobe, and choreographing the shots and poses with the photographer/products. Can you classify that as a medium? I might like to think so. 

GB: What can we catch you carrying out when you’re away from your artistry?

ES: I adore looking at, producing, tenting, and currently being outdoors. Ideal now I’m obtaining pleasurable studying how to play once more. I lately bought roller skates. I liked skating when I was a child, and re-studying it has been a pleasurable way to de-pressure from adulting.

CA: I usually seem to be to have a household renovation job or strategy to redecorate anything, which retains me very busy. I also love the outdoors: hiking, kayaking, and getting my 2 canine up to the mountain trails. Utah is the Best for exploring. 

GB: Do you have a beloved undertaking or sequence that you have labored on?

ES: I’m truly proud of the artwork demonstrates I’ve curated. The most current exhibit was “The Conquer of Our Blood” which was an exhibit featuring only BIPOC artists. I designed a mixed media painting for the clearly show titled “She Becomes”. The subject of the painting is a panther lady and it’s my recent favorite.

CA: The Acquired Natural beauty Summer Satisfaction window is my new preferred! It was so enjoyable to collaborate with Essie and the remarkable women of all ages of Received Magnificence to make a thing with so significantly that means and purpose, but which is also just so very to glimpse at. Really like is enjoy! 

GB: So, what’s future for each of you?

ES: I am at present operating on a solo show titled “The fireplace in her eyes.” This exhibit as a entire is meant to be a commentary about the means in which colorism, texturism, and internalized racism in the black neighborhood have been seriously motivated by Eurocentric benchmarks of elegance. Some items will be visual translations of my lived activities as a Black female in the United States. Other pieces will highlight the strength, and sensuality of the black feminine variety though checking out themes of sexuality, gender expression, and self-acceptance. The demonstrate is tentatively set for November 2022. 

CA: I’m dying to go greater and bolder with photo shoot staging! I have so lots of suggestions in my head of what I would enjoy to do. Elopement shoots, stylized bridal, way of living photographs… And finally, the aspiration is to develop visual works of art for organizations to use in shows and marketing. Thank you, Acquired Splendor, for bringing me nearer to that dream! 

To Essie and CJ: We thank you for taking the time to speak with us and drop some gentle on the appreciate and vision that our community has to provide. Our planet is additional stunning for the reason that of each of you. We cannot wait around to see your impending art!

Go to us in-shop at 900 E. 2100 S. in Salt Lake Metropolis to view our 2022 Satisfaction exhibit.