Growing up in the Bahamas, Antoni wasn’t able to attend art galleries or museums. Like most children, she was introduced to art by crafting. Even when she was a young child, Antoni used unconventional materials to create (Odenbach). Utilizing the beautiful land as materials, she used sand, seashells, and other natural objects she found in the woods. Her crafts were often made to help and support others, such as selling at church fairs and making stage sets for high school theater productions (Fusaro). While none of Antoni’s artworks directly mention the Bahamas or its relevance to her work, she insists that it lies at the core of her art. As mentioned in class about artists of foreign background, Antoni also shares in the feeling of being an outsider. Being new to America left her feeling uncomfortable in her body, making her hyper-aware of her appearance and actions. This emotion is tied to Antoni’s use of her body as a tool and medium (Karamitsos).   

Moving to the United States was where Antoni first learned and studied contemporary art. She recalls that this shift was frustrating to adjust to, making her dislike certain artists’ works that she now has learned to appreciate, such as Richard Long. This taught her to change her perspective on art that feels “different", something that should also be applied to Antoni’s work (Fusaro). 

Studying at Sarah Lawrence College included classical training with still lifes and figure sculptures, while RISD exposed her to experimental conceptual art. This switch opened her eyes to the female artists Hannah Wilke and Carolee Schneeman. Antoni described the inspiration for her career as “the visceral language of the 1970s, but was able to look at it through the lens of feminist ideas from the 1980s” (Fusaro)

Antoni has a signature technique of sculpting and creating art, as she uses her body both as a tool and as a medium. Early on in her artistic career, she transformed unusual materials into beautiful and detailed sculptures. For example, some of Antoni’s most popular works exhibit large pieces of chocolate and soap, with their shape molded by either chewing, biting, or bathing. Antoni creates an intimate and natural way of creating art by highlighting art as a process and creation. Her unique way of creating emphasizes how there is more to an art piece than the finished product (Odenbach).

The audience plays a major role in Antoni’s pieces. Her inclusion and engagement with the viewer make the space feel relatable. The audience can see but also feel how physically and mentally tired Antoni becomes with her performances (Simmons). 

The beginning of Antoni's artistic career focused on the messages of physical labor, the unique burdens of women, and how beauty standards impact women (Karamitsos). Next, Antoni shifted to focus on the experience of being a daughter and perceiving motherhood through the lens of a child. After Antoni became a mother in 2004, she created a series of artworks that delved into actually being the mother, offering an interesting contrast to her previous works. Many of her works also take inspiration from ancient mythology and practices (Jones). 

When a moving object meets a stopping force, there are two choices: to break apart or to redirect the energy. The hands' body language conveys a self-supporting gesture of giving. The hand appears to want to expand beyond its structural limits, nearly disconnecting from the wrist. Surrounding this unfurling are cast hand bones, with negative and positive forms radiating outward. The gilded background advances, pushing the gestures into the background. In this context, the body serves as a portal for the painting to become reality ("Janine Antoni").

“I am tool and substance. I apply force, I rotate. I give way and transform, offering myself” ("Janine Antoni").

Caryatid explores themes of balance and descent through its dual components: a photograph and a sculpture. The photograph presents a life-size image of the artist from behind, where she carries a large vessel atop her head, with her body serving as a pedestal in a manner reminiscent of classical Greek architecture, where female figures resemble columns supporting an entablature. When the photograph is inverted, the vessel transforms into a pedestal for the woman. This piece challenges the conventional link between a woman's body and a vessel. In Caryatid, the vessel is depicted as broken yet remains functional as a container. Antoni describes it, stating, “For me, maturity is epitomized in the vessel holding its broken self. I want the viewer to see the beauty in this inevitability” ("Janine Antoni"). The cause of the vessel's breakage is left unstated, inviting viewers to fill in the narrative void between the photographic image and the broken vessel before them.

Landmark Piece: Her most famous piece that has largely defined Antoni is Lick and Lather. This has defined her as an innovative performance and cultural artist who plays with everyday yet unconventional materials.

Artistic Technique: Antoni’s artistic technique is what makes her stand out as an artist. Antoni’s use of everyday materials like chocolate and soap and transforming them into sculptures is unique. Along with that, Antoni participates in performance art that uses her body as a tool and vessel for a greater message (Fisher).

Exhibitions and Recognition: Her work has been praised and exhibited worldwide and at major museums. She has also earned awards and recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, the Frederick Douglass Award, and the Anonymous Was a Woman Award. Her art has been showcased in the MoMA and the Whitney Museum of American Art to name a few ("Janine Antoni").

Inspirations: Her work is commonly associated and compared with other female artists like Sherrie Levine, Cindy Sherman, and Marina Abramovic. Antoni’s artworks have been inspired by these women and their focus on the feminist art movement and personal experiences. These artists have worked to deconstruct gender norms, beauty standards, and stereotypes (Fusaro).