On Thursday, an artist who turned a discovery of water-stained tissue paper into a vibrant art exhibit will debut at UNC’s Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.

Maya Freelon Asante, a Baltimore-based artist and Durham native, stumbled upon a discovery in her grandmother’s basement and realized the beauty in water-stained tissue paper.

That led her to develop a unique way of art, tissue-ink monoprint.

Freelon Asante uses her art to recognize and honor the past and to create what she calls “a harmonious link between the past and the present.”

Her solo exhibit, Free, runs until March 27th at the Stone Center.

The exhibit, which will combine tissue paper with photography and painting, will provide the community with a new, unique and interesting artistic medium.

The public is invited to attend a reception for “Free” at 7pm on Thursday at the grand-opening of the exhibit.

There will also be special performances by Freelon Asante’s equally artistic family members, including her mother, a jazz vocalist, and her brother, a hip hop lyricist.

Olympia Friday, the public relations officer at the stone center, explains the importance of Maya Freelon Asante’s exhibit and her family ties to the Stone Center.