Statement

In 2015, I began a visual series built on my curiosities, experiences, memories, and thought processes; gathering what I have known to be true to me at that moment became the foundation and framework of my artistry. I began with a collection of murals that centered images of Black women, each depicting who I was, who I needed, and what I was learning at that time. The purpose is to express and share my joys, frustrations, and prideful moments with Black Women. My painting series depicts an array of Black Men and Women usually existing in a resting position, focusing on their facial features accent by swings of color and thick paint strokes. In this series of works titled the “Blk Women Period,” I see potential subjects and respond to them organically. Attracted by the subject’s gesture, I style the figure in thick texture and color patterns in a nonlinear imaginative scene. My goal is not to expose a range of emotions but to evoke feelings within the viewer.

My work is a reflection of my personality. It allows me to communicate meaningfully. I create the world I want to exist in through my paintings, where I can play, work out and express my emotions. To think outside of the intellectual and artistic ‘holding’ patterns and envision futures that are intergalactic in scope. I feel an obligation to untangle my imagination from Americanized history books and standards. By removing myself from these constraints liberates me. Therefore, my work is free. My thoughts and creativity cannot be marginalized by what society expects of me.

I am a Black Woman, disconnecting herself from the inherited constraints of society. I am unapologetic about letting my work be in tune with my feelings and no one else’s. And that, I believe, is revolutionary.

Twirl, 2020
36 x 36″
Oil and acrylic on canvas