Artist Statement
My work focuses on self-recovery. More specifically, recovering my sense of self and severed connections to Black culture. My work has been informed by my formative experiences of being silenced, discouraged from self expression, and separated from the larger Black culture around me. These forms of isolation, which were expressed in my familial, spiritual and emotional realities, have greatly informed my artistry.
Through my artistic process, I am separating myself from personal trauma, reclaiming masculinity from colonialism's harmful influence, unbinding my current perception of femininity from the male gaze, and combating erasure by reaffirming the historical accuracy of Black experiences throughout the Diaspora. I affirm these new understand- ings by researching topics concerning the psychology of masculinity, the synergy between historical occurrences across the African diaspora, and practicing mindful composition of these topics within my artwork.
I explore these topics by converging digital painting, traditional painting, illustration, sculpture, and mixed media to develop narratives that center Black experiences.