ARTIST STATEMENT
This collection is about the splendour and ascent of Africa and its people, as well as the sorrow and despair that are deeply rooted in the African experience. I encourage the viewer to feel embedded in the profound culture and heritage of Africa. The human race originated from the womb of Africa - it is important to know where we come from as you are the gift granted from The Most High to this blessed land.
I encourage you not only to see the beauty of Africa in my artwork but also the beauty within yourself. We are one people walking this journey of life together. When viewing these pieces, look within yourself, as the portraiture you see in front of you is a reflection of you. You should feel the love with every brushstroke. Africans represent a deeper sense of hurt and sorrow due to colonialism and yet when the sun hits an African face, it glows with warmth and divinity. I play with this juxtaposition of sadness and divinity in my artworks on display today. Human sadness is significant to me because I feel like I can relate due to personal experience. I express this sadness through the subject’s eyes as they are the window to the soul.
When observing these artworks, I want you to feel that you are accompanying me on a journey of self-exploration. I hope that this collection helps you discover that The Most High is within. I am of the belief that life is not about the destination, but the journey. I hope that the pain depicted within the African’s eye in my artworks inspires resilience in you to keep walking the journey of life with grace. Embracing the fact that the destination is everchanging.
Peace and Love, all glory to The Most High, and enjoy this collection as much as I enjoyed creating it.
