Artist Statement:

From a young age, emotional intelligence became an important part of my being. Although I can’t remember when my artistic journey started, it quickly emerged as an outlet for my deepest thoughts. As I honed my skills through self-teaching, this symbiotic connection became a vital pillar in shaping my identity as an artist and my approach to creating art.

My work highlights many issues I encountered growing up in a Southern African American community. By utilizing topics of the past, present, and concepts of the future, I express how I take those experiences and reinterpret them by reshaping the worlds in my paintings. My work often uses an array of regional and cultural references, as well as natural materials that can hold symbolic meaning, such as crystals and water. Artists of the Italian Renaissance movement influence my early portrait style of realism. At the same time, the otherworldly Sci-Fi elements in my work are inspired by Japanese anime and illustrations. The fantastical worlds they created were not an escape from reality. However, they encouraged me to imagine what could be.

My artistic focus revolves around capturing the essence of vulnerability and transformation, challenging conventional notions of pride and strength. I am intrigued by the profound influence we, as humans, wield in shaping both our internal and external realities. Through my works, I aim to depict the ongoing process of personal evolution, raising questions about its limitless nature and the potential outcomes it may yield.