Resurrection of thy self

From a superficial perspective, I see a collection of captivating, beautiful, and intimate portraits. But when I dig deeper into the work, take an extensive look into my past and most recent thoughts I see an intimate reflection of an internal struggle I have faced and continue to face. This portrait series represents coming to terms with my homosexuality from my late teens to the decade of my 20’s. The internal battle of getting to know myself while being influenced by a world that tells you to be the exact opposite of what you feel, or which stereotype to fit into as a man; a black man, a gay man, and as a gay man of color. From the media’s projection and representations of what homosexuality is to the directed visceral comments that have been burned in my memory from those around me, it all is a challenging paradigm to process. Yet, this work illustrates the triumph of overcoming my own inner critic. This series also represents my gain of independence over time. By stepping into myself and being present in who I am, I started to emerge from the shadows of my perception of darkness. The darkness of uncertainty, fear, discomfort, and in search for a community to find understanding. Nurturing myself with the complement of my truth, I was able to evolve and witness the metamorphosis of the life I wanted to create for myself. Illustrating this transition in my work to depict the characters to be hosts of strength, confidence, resilience, vulnerability.