Artist Statement
My works of art celebrate the Black experience through its historic symbols; cotton, roses, Church fans, Holy Bibles, and the African and African American image. The mirrors in my works, inspired by the Minkisi- Power figures and nail fetishes from central Africa, symbolize desire, mortality, and ancestral protection. The nails hold the energy of a prayer request. The small cloth bags (Heirloom Bags) adorning many of the paintings bear the spiritual and physical memories of the ancestor. In addition, the bags contain seeds, money, crystals, hair, prayer cloths, and more.
Growing up in the South, I remember how Southern Matriarchs adorned in tailored white dresses and glowing ebony skin, by standing in a doorway, could exude a presence that would completely envelop the room. They celebrated the luxury of being- Black, Southern, and eternal icons. It is this respectability of the human figure residing in a holy moment that I wish to engage the viewer.
I will always give homage to those people and experiences that brought me here. All the things I remember about my past, cultivate, clarify, and define, my now.