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Artist Biography
Jennia Fredrique Aponte, born in Gary, Indiana, is an American writer, director, actress, and visual artist based in Los Angeles . She studied theater at Columbia College Chicago and began her acting career with recurring roles on Noah’s Arc (Logo), City Guys (NBC), Cuts (CW), Passions (NBC), My Wife and Kids (ABC), and The Hughleys (CW). Aponte then transitioned into writing and directing alongside her husband Sol Aponte under their production company, Full Frequency Media, creating award-winning short films such as Sacred Heart and 90 DAYS—the latter earning an African Academy Award for its powerful depiction of HIV stigma. They also developed and produced the docuseries Anatomy of… for Revolt TV, including Anatomy of Black Love, further establishing her as a compelling visual storyteller. Jennia’s approach to visual art centers on paper mosaic collage, a passion nurtured since childhood when her mother gifted her an X‑Acto knife at age ten. From that point, she was mesmerized by paper dolls, found objects, and layered storytelling through collage—an imaginative craft she perfected over decades. Drawing on her background in dance, film, and theater, she crafts fluid, kinetic compositions that often feature dancers and movement as central motifs, blending visual expression with rhythmic storytelling . Jennia Fredrique Aponte has crafted a singular artistic path that bridges filmmaking, performance, and paper collage. Her visually rich and emotionally layered mosaics are rooted in storytelling, cultural homage, and embodied movement—each piece a celebration of ancestral dignity, forgotten voices, and the ongoing dance between memory and imagination.
Artist Statement
My work is a meditation on legacy, movement, and cultural reclamation. As a filmmaker, writer, and collage artist, I’m drawn to the layered nature of storytelling—how memory, rhythm, and ancestry intersect to shape the present. I create intricate paper mosaics using rare, recycled, and handmade materials—Egyptian papyrus, copper, gold leaf, and found objects—to honor the overlooked and celebrate the Black body in motion.
Movement is at the heart of everything I make. I’m especially inspired by dancers—their grace, resilience, and ability to embody freedom through form. My background in theater and film deeply informs my visual art: each piece is a scene, a breath, a narrative in fragments. I build by cutting, layering, and arranging paper like a choreographer staging a silent ballet.
Through my art, I aim to amplify the stories of women, of ancestors, of children, of icons forgotten by history. I create to remember, to heal, and to envision a future where joy, beauty, and Black imagination are centered without compromise.
— Jennia Fredrique Aponte
Artist Exhibitions
Works Available
Press
IN THE PAINT — Artist Spotlight
Jennia Fredrique Aponte
Jennia Fredrique Aponte, an artist from Gary, Indiana, pays homage to Black dancers and forgotten icons through intricate paper mosaics. Using rare, recycled, and handmade paper collected from her travels, Jennia crafts each piece to honor ancestors and envisions a future of inclusivity and joy.
Events

International Debut
Meet us in Paris. We’re excited to announce that Art Melanated is making its international debut at the 10th anniversary of AKAA (Also Known As Africa) @akaa_fair Art Fair this October in Paris. As the only U.S. gallery selected to exhibit, we’re bringing the brilliance of our community to the global stage—and spotlighting a very special artist. Jennia Fredrique Aponte @jenniafredrique will present her first solo international exhibition, debuting her breathtaking new series: Clockwork Academy: School for Girls. Set in an alternate 1888, this visionary body of work reimagines Black girlhood at the height of the Industrial Revolution—where invention becomes identity, and sisterhood becomes power. 📍 AKAA Art Fair – Carreau du Temple, Paris 🗓 October 24–26, 2025


















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