Debra Riffe

On Exhibit: A Tupelo, Mississippi native, Debra Eubanks Riffe is a graduate of Howard University’s College of Fine Arts where she obtained a degree in illustration. Riffe worked in Washington, D.C. for several years before relocating to the coastal city of Barranquilla, Colombia, South America. She has called Birmingham home since 1996.

After returning from South America, Riffe rediscovered her love of illustrating while teaching herself to needlepoint. In 2004, she decided to convert her needlepoint art into designs for linoleum block relief prints.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards, and in 2008, received a Grant to Individual Artists (GIA) funded by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham. During 2010, she received the Best in Show Award at the Aldridge Gardens’ Art Show and the Award of Excellence at the Montevallo Art Show. She has taught linoleum block printing both locally and regionally, and currently teaches at Samford University.

Riffe states, “Printmaking is such an adaptable medium. The possibilities are endless. I enjoy the immediacy of sketching my ideas with a pencil, the versatility of cutting a linoleum block surface with various gouges and the physicality of inking the block and turning the wheel of a printing press. I relish the tactile quality of fine printmaking paper. No matter how much I plan each design, it is always a surprise to see the finished product."

"My compositions are exclusively images of African Americans in rural Southern surroundings, performing everyday tasks in timeless, solitary reflective moments. At first glance, my figures appear to be anonymous. However, upon closer examination, the viewer quickly recognizes an activity or a place long forgotten."