Della Wells

a Black woman wearing a wine-red head scarf and dangling circular earrings with painted daisies on them and a black track jacket. she is wearing a lipstick color that matches her headscarf and looking at the camera with raised eyebrows, and standing in front of her own mixed media collage artwork
Della Wells [image description: a Black woman wearing a wine-red head scarf and dangling circular earrings with painted daisies on them and a black track jacket. she is wearing a lipstick color that matches her headscarf and looking at the camera with raised eyebrows, and standing in front of her own mixed media collage artwork]

Della Wells was born in 1951, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

As a child growing up in North Carolina, Della made up stories and characters mainly to escape the madness of her mother’s mental illness and her father’s rage. Eventually, she would use her imaginary tales to inspire the collage art she creates today. Della feels strongly that spiritual awareness can only be achieved when you understand where you came from.

Della has frequently been compared to the well-known artist, Romare Bearden. Her colorful collages are beautifully designed, implementing her own rule that she can only use the materials she has in her house at the time. Her inspiration is from her life and current social issues in the United States. There is almost always a chicken image in her collages. When she was young, her father brought home a live chicken which she connected with as a pet. Unfortunately, it ended up on the dinner table, an event which has stuck with her all these years.

Della Wells has appeared in various publications including “Self Taught, Outsider, and Folk Art Guide to American Artists, Locations, and Resources,” by Betty-Carol Sellen and Cynthia J. Johnanson.

Della recently exhibited her work at Loyola University in Chicago, “Her Story, My Dreams: Images by Della Wells.”   There is a terrific youtube video from the Loyola exhibit where Della talks about her work.

3 thoughts on “Della Wells”

  1. Your artwork is absolutely stunning! I love the color and all the elements incorporated into your collages. Thanks for sharing!

  2. I love these collages! They remind me of the art I was able to see at the Chazen last week celebrating feminism in Wisconsin. I love the stories that each collage communicates. Thank you for sharing your art with us!

  3. Wow! I admire your work. I truly feel as though I’m inside a story when looking at your pieces, and it’s worth my time to figure out what I can about what has led up to and what will come from the moment shown. (And the history you shared of the chicken – I don’t even know what to say…)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *