On this quest of discovery about myself through my artwork, I am affirmed that the response and treatment you receive is subjective to one’s identity. Being a wanderer and misfit of sort, in my own city has allowed space for me to surrender great empathy for all people who are confined to the restraints and oppressions of their undomesticated spaces.
When visiting other cities, I can't deny my attraction to people, places, and things that are often overlooked or unattended to. Graciously, I have had the privilege to transcend from a deliberately neglectful environment imposed by the government's infrastructures. With my art I seek to bring awareness through what may feel like an uncomfortable visual intervention for some, and a self reflecting affirmation to others, with the selectiveness of my imagery; focusing not only on street art, but its environment, the psychological conditionings, countercultures, and the plethora of people it generates.
As I keep Art on my mind, like the late great writer Bell Hooks, I seek to reimagine the grit of these places by telling overlooked stories through multimedia artworks that explore resilient narratives, address systematic issues, and elaborate on the experiences of civilians in urban neighborhoods. Through the work I seek to transform the minds of people who are inhabitants of these spaces – while also making the viewer investigate issues at hand that are directly imposed by the Patriarchal White Government, who has forcefully been in control for decades.
Through the exploration of Self, Portraiture, Street Art, & Gentrification, I am beginning to understand where I come from and how it consciously displays itself in my artwork. My interests in portraiture, street art, and gentrification revolve around the necessity of discovering and preserving my culture and history. My art seeks to juxtapose these interests by immersing the viewer into a visual compilation, whose aura seeks to disrupt the white cube and invoke a sense of discomfort to those unfamiliar with it.
I must say that the process of creating the work and scavenging for accurate history, exploring different neighborhoods, and meeting new people has been vital to a deeper understanding of myself. The hunt has transpired an ongoing investigation of self. I wonder am I now discovering the true freedom of expressing who I am as an artist because I am no longer ashamed of where I come from. I also question which environmental conditionings I want to preserve and which I seek to gentrify through my personal and artistic evolution.
Thief - Multimedia - 2023