Statement

The paintings in this series are visual explorations of how African diasporal societies in the South are fighting social, economic, educational and psychological wars from within and without to survive. The honest and false narratives of history embodied in this series are primarily personified in patinated colossuses that symbolize the culture and realities of the populations they tower over, and the battles we’ve fought and continue to fight. We are at war on two fronts.

The extensions of the “Two Fronts” series are comprised of portraits that investigate the catalytic war that atmospheric conditions constantly wage on natural and manmade surfaces and structures. I’m using metal powders, chemical compounds, acrylic and dry media on paper and canvas to recreate those aging and weathering effects on the faces of people, which are reminiscent of the erosive conditions that patina the lives of black people every day, everywhere.

The camoflauge is emblematic of how america has systematically conditioned African americans to accept and blend into an environment that’s hostile and harmful to our people. Despite our intimate knowledge of the conditions that beleaguer the vast majority of black people, many of us knowingly opt to “hide in plain sight” for fear of being recognized as “anti-status quo” and getting punished by the same systems that oppress us.

artwork: Chrishelle, 2017, Acrylic, charcoal and atomized steel dust on paper, 30″h x 22″w