Artist Statement

Living in a society where few of us can truly be ourselves—without facing abuse from the politically correct police or conservative fundamentalists—it’s a constant struggle to exist authentically without being labeled as something I am not.

For me, painting became the perfect way to express my truth without triggering the same hostility I might face in conversation. People expect artists to tell the truth; they don’t expect the same from the average person. While controversial topics are often unwelcome at the dinner table, uncontroversial art is dismissed as dull. A controversial artist is seen as bold, but a controversial neighbor is someone to avoid. Painting allows me to bridge these worlds: my love of visual art and my deep commitment to community activism.

My art tells stories—beyond the expected narratives about injustice people often anticipate from a woman of color. I refuse to be reduced to a martyr or to romanticize my struggles. Instead, I scrutinize both myself and others, holding up a mirror to every individual and every group. Everyone is fair game.

I work traditionally with acrylic and oil, as well as digitally. On the digital side, I use an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil, working in Adobe Fresco or Procreate. Many of my pieces begin in acrylic, which I then import into Procreate to merge, manipulate, and layer multiple works into something new. Recently, I’ve also begun experimenting with AI tools, blending machine-generated elements with my own painted and digital layers to push my work into new, unexpected directions.