MY INSPIRATION

Artist Statement:

My work is a call to action—an invitation to reflect, respond, and confront challenges that remain critically relevant. I strive to create art that not only resonates but also catalyzes cultural healing. With a deep commitment to excellence, my practice continuously seeks to foster love and rebuilding, addressing the wounds of the past and the dissonance of our present moment.

My use of intense color and urgent compositions is intentional, representing the pressing need to mend the fractures caused by historical injustices—a cultural lobotomy that still reverberates today. Through figurative painting, I delve into scenarios that provoke thought and, at times, discomfort. For me, painting is an act of problem-solving, storytelling, and showcasing beauty in all its complexities. Themes of equity and equality are deeply embedded in my work, reflecting the values of my community and the need for dynamic, ongoing dialogue.

I am equally drawn to sculpture, architecture, and structural engineering, as I am to the influences of artists like Kerry James Marshall, Oliver Lee Jackson, and Sandro Chia. As a storyteller and history painter, my passion compels me to produce work that honors untold stories, especially those of marginalized communities.

This mission is more than artistic expression—it is a personal calling. Like the film Sankofa, my journey is about reclaiming what has been forgotten or erased. I create because the ancestors demand it, and through my work, I honor their legacy, ensuring that their voices remain heard in our ongoing cultural narrative.

All paintings are oil on canvas.

All assemblage sculptures are mixed materials.

Palace of the Legion of Honor

Crocker Museum of Art

Stedelijk Museum of Schiedam

Rotterdam Art Center

Goldman Sachs

Health America

Fairmont Hotels

American Cancer Society

Danny Glover

Modesto Lanzone

Alexander Gailas

Roselyn Swig

Rob Levinson

Candice Michelle Fort

Judith Friedericy

Laurie S. Gibbs

Dr. Greg and Mia Kelly

Richard Baines

Gloria Feldman

Velda Berkley

Dr. Bonita Bruce

Ronald Busby

Gabriel Allen

Jeanette Berkshire

Jeffrey Jennings

Mia Taylor-

Charles G. Langham III

Harriet Rohmer

Miriam Anton

Cecile Maibach

CH & Diane Ozbun

Lila Abdul-Rahim

Joe Sam

Cynthia Butler

Susan Lambertus

Karl Ralf

Harriet Flannagan

F. Daniel Sidhu

Robert Berkshire

Anne Whitehead Moore

Steven Firestone

Ashaki Bomani

Sharada Maraj

Eric Mingo

LD Lott

Ruben Ruiz

Rachelle Shelton

Lachelle Shelton

Anissa Love

Brandon Green

Jackie Turner

Kassandra Harper-Cotton

Tony Smith

Jasmine & Clinton Dixon

Nicholas Gordon

Josefina Sanchez