Artist Statement

     

I work through the lens of Afro-Futurism and Surrealism. The later was an art-cultural movement that began in the early 1920s. It was re-contextualized in the 1970s by the late author, Amiri Baraka, who coined the term Afro-Surrealism. Baraka argued that the Black experience in America was so unfathomably hard that our oppression and survival was surreal and beyond one’s imagination. Baraka's concept of Afro-Surrealism has enabled me to explore the negative images and stereotypes that society has imposed on black women with great clarity. And through surrealism, I can reimagine and reconstruct new narratives that disrupt the norm while simultaneously allowing the reconfigurations of beauty to envelop the viewer.

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The progression of my work begins with fieldwork—people watching and taking photos of objects that have a metaphorical meaning. My secondary research is more tactile and materials based. My research includes studying textile, wood; different kinds of paper (both the texture and weight), printed paper including photographs, books, and various materials that I can use to formulate a solid narrative. I hunt exhaustingly for books to purchase at libraries, garage sales, used bookstores and thrift shops.

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Every blank piece of paper or canvas involves a gestalt of creativity--Juxtaposing and integrating disparate images that fit evenly or symbolically together. I rely purely on my imagination to guide me towards creating beautiful hybrids of Afro-Diasporan characters grounded in dadaism, constructivism, or minimalism that personify beguiling interlocutors that disrupt worn-out societal notions of black women. The work succeeds when the visual metaphors can speak to our strength, vulnerability, resistance, and power.

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