Art + Artists

As an Afro-Caribbean American artist, my work explores identity through portraiture in a variety of mediums. I am a painter who is currently painting with fibers, specifically yarn and thread. I narrate stories of the presentation of otherness through my choices in materials. My works range from 3 inches to 14 feet depicting people and environments from within my community that I consider to have swagger. My larger-than-life sized portraits resemble the cool of Barkley Hendricks paintings and the textures of Bisa Butler’s fiber works. I am showcasing and immortalizing the magic of the people within my life and developing a nostalgic experience with my viewers. Throughout my artistic journey, I have found that my love/fascination to represent “my people” visually, is necessary. As an Associate Professor in South Florida, it is also important for me to highlight different identities as a way to educate those who have preconceived notions of us. These 8’ x 5’ figures are created with yarn on hook mesh (by hand) and the backgrounds are usually painted cityscapes. This presentation of visibility communicates the lack thereof for others in the United States and in the Caribbean. In order to be seen, you choose things that will make you stand out. It's a defense mechanism of survival. My work explores strength through vulnerability and community. I explore ways in which we celebrate ourselves to be able to see ourselves in spaces where we have been erased. I create art to be included in the history of art and to prove that representation matters.