“Grattitude” Painting

ARTIST STATEMENT: My work is a constant search for the best way to interpret freedom, what freedom looks like in all aspects, mentally spiritually and physically. As I evolve and gain more knowledge of self, it directly translates onto the canvas. What aids in my evolution as an artist is the studying of historically black abstract artists such as Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Sam Gilliam, and Al loving. I am on a personal mission beyond influence that derives from my subconscious and my need to create meaningful experiences through abstraction. I intend to use my work to unlock truth and contribute to the conscious movement of Black female artists reshaping my own Black aesthetic within the art world. I am a contemporary abstract artist. I use interior paint, and oil pastels to express my views on identity and culture through expressionism. I use raw non stretched canvas, building color from black and brown tones inspired by all shades of melanin. I incorporate many marks inspired by indigenous cultures. These marks are an expression of the freedom I speak of passed down through genetic code since the dawn of time. Ultimately the shaping of canvas, the use of color tones, and the mark making defines my human experience and tells a story that I am compelled to share with each viewer.