I grew up as a little black girl during the golden age of the internet. The media could shape my self-image and sense of worth from a young age based on how they portrayed the black image. Now I wield that power. I have the artistic ability and means to add a new black facet to the visual zeitgeist. I want audiences to see the beauty in the black body and interact with the black body in an artistic space in ways they may not have encountered before.
My artistic practice and my African-American identity are firmly tied. I use photographic mediums to explore the nuances and variability of black Americans by conceptually linking black historical themes into a modern context. I'm intrigued by how our current discussions can intersect with well-documented issues that the black community needs to address. Above all, exalting the black body is the focus of my practice.
This work, titled "Descendants," is a self-portrait series referencing the relationship between the black body and nature. I want to show the beauty of blackness in rural nature. This series is a way to regain my agency with the land around me. “Descendants” is a self-initiated homecoming: I am grasping at my lost heritage
