Tschabalala Self (born 1990) is an American artist best known for her depictions of Black female figures using paint, fabric, and discarded pieces of her previous works.

"[2] Inspired by works done by African-American artist Romare Bearden, Self creates collages of various items that she has collected over time and sews them together to depict Black female bodies that "defy the narrow spaces in which they are forced to exist".

"[13] Peter Schjeldahl compared her piece at the New Museum's 2017 Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon to the works of Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning.

"[19] The use of unconventional materials helps to highlight the unique shapes of a body because it separates the emphasis of each part from the whole structure of the artwork and creates an individual space for the pieces to express, rather than to perform, for the audience.

[21] Her Rainbow piece,[22] which consists of wood, acrylic paint, and other elements, portrays a Black woman bending down, exposing her genitalia.

[3] Self's art style revolves around the representation of Black women through primary (e.g., genitalia) and secondary (e.g., body features) sexual characteristics by painting and utilizing printmaking.

[24] The characters illustrated in her artworks all share exaggerated body and facial features, and in doing so, allude to a racial and generational trauma embedded within each painting.

[25] A prominent Self work, The Function, sheds light into the social aspect of the art piece and explains the abstract nature of the figure and its background.

[31][29] This series includes works she calls Hammer Projects, such as Rainbow, Big Red, My Guy, Ice Cream, and Loosie in the Park.

[32][33][citation needed] As Self noted in conversation with Jareh Das for Ocula magazine,"The bodega is an infinitely interesting locale and institution for the various racial, ethnic, and social dynamics at play within these spaces.

[36] Self reveals the idea behind the name of this exhibition, explaining that, "Cotton mouth is when you can’t speak with ease, or are coerced into sticking to a script that you didn’t write.

[36] The choice of title is a burdened one, as a mouth that can no longer function serves as a metaphor for the systemic and continued silencing of Black Americans.

[37] Self's work allows the viewer to contemplate the cultural and historical significance of the labor and sacrifice required of Black Americans to produce cotton itself during the 19th century.