Artist statement

Illustrations of stone faced black men and women, each one made up of geometric layers and fused together in complementary deep shades. Rich, powerful and emotive-my work feels familiar and new, all at once. These Illustrations resonate with people both young and old and that-to me, is the impact. Seeing the reaction of others to my work is heartwarming and is the sole reason why I produce these powerful images. I am on a mission to make the world beautiful. To remind people-black people that no matter what you may have heard in the media or elsewhere, you are beautiful and worthy. My work is a daily reminder when words simply aren’t enough. Images that bring people from all walks of life together. Black, white, rich, poor, it has been amazing seeing how universal my pieces are. Despite the different audiences these illustrations attract, they all see a part of themselves in them which I believe makes them timeless.

Some notable artists who have inspired my work include Jacob Lawrence, Emory Douglas, Barkley Hendricks, Ernie Barnes and Faith Ringgold to name a few.

Process

I began illustrating after completing a graphic design course at Syracuse University. The class taught me the basics of photoshop and illustrator, things I had no knowledge
of prior. From there, I began scanning my sketchbook drawings into my computer and practiced remaking them digitally. 5 years later, I have successfully been able to craft my own distinct style while also laying my foundation as an up-and-coming artist. My current series titled "Feel That Funk" was inspired by artists of the Black Arts Movement because their work not only was appealing visually, but they also touched on issues regarding the current state of black folk at that time. To me, I wanted to pay homage to that era (60s-70s) while also pushing myself to create more complex work. This series took me around 10 months to complete but I have learned so much in that time.

I like to begin my process by researching whatever theme I have my series set on being. So for this series, I looked through a bunch of vintage magazines including Ebony and Essence, along with old advertisements aimed at black audiences from the 70s. During my research, I also found myself watching and re-watching Blaxploitation films to get a feel of the times. The films were over the top and stylish...two things that I knew I'd want to incorporate into my artwork. The amount of time it takes to create a piece varies depending on how inspired I am feeling. There have been times where I have been able to bust three pictures out in a weeks time. I normally take around 4 or 5 days to complete one piece. Creating these illustrations takes a lot of time and patience however the ending result is always rewarding.

The people depicted in my illustrations, the women in particular remind me of my mother and the village of strong black women that were there during my youth. As I've gotten older, I see these women as extended family members because they played such a pivotal role in my life. Seeing them all come together to lend a helping hand when a family crisis broke out, a death in the family, when a marriage may have fallen apart and even the good times. The simple act of these women bringing their children together to play as they all caught up with one another is fascinating to me. The expressions on the faces of the women depicted in my illustrations show just that - the pain, the anger, but also that love, that confidence that I see in the village of women that helped raise me. There was a time when I was afraid to make men because I had no prior knowledge of how to do so. I'm glad I took that leap of faith and just went for it because the men in my illustrations depict that idea of strong and resilient just like the women. The look on their faces - hard and stern shows power and strength, something society tries time and time again to take away from us. That's why making this series has been therapeutic for me because I am showing black people that you are enough. There's no second guessing that!