Artist Statement

SEEN · 2021 · Acrylic on wood panel · 36×48 in.

 

My work explores identity, beauty, empowerment, and cultural memory through portraiture that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. I create vibrant, layered paintings that invite reflection on self-worth, visibility, and transformation, while celebrating the complexity, beauty, and power of lived experience. 

Central to my practice is a commitment to honoring the Black experience and expanding how Black life, beauty, and identity are seen and valued. Through bodies of work such as Vanity Pop and Legends Only, I examine how image, symbolism, and cultural iconography can affirm presence, preserve legacy, and challenge limiting narratives. My portraits are not only representations of people, but meditations on dignity, aspiration, resilience, and the power of being fully seen.

I am drawn to bold color, intricate layering, and symbolic detail as a way to express both inner life and shared cultural experience. My goal is to build a body of work that is visually compelling, emotionally impactful, and culturally meaningful—work that affirms, challenges, and connects.

Ultimately, I want my paintings to create moments of recognition: to inspire viewers to see beauty in complexity, power in vulnerability, and possibility within themselves. Through my practice, I aim to contribute to a broader conversation around identity, representation, and the transformative power of art.

 

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