Rhode Island School of Design '28
My work is a result of illustrating what I feel needs to be seen. As a Black American that grew up in non-diverse spaces most of my life, I was taught to acknowledge my differences from others but to not let my differences define me, to welcome discourse. In my art, I want to acknowledge hardship but also open up opportunities for productive conversation. One way I aim to inspire discourse through my art is through color. Colorful art can become a tool that sparks curiosity. Similarly, inclusion of social and political content in art can quickly capture an audience's attention. The element of color and inclusion of relevant content in art is important to me because I want discourse surrounding my work to transform into productive conversations and hopeful thinking, something that I feel is lacking in our society today. I aim to spark conversations around “what could be”. In doing so, I paint subjects realistically with abstract backgrounds to put emphasis on how we are all unique, yet our environments are not. When I feel that a piece is almost too saturated, too bold, too “in your face”, or too imaginative, then I know that it is complete.
- SELECTED WORK
