I Said What I Said

Artist Statement
My creative process is based on layering, recycling, reimagining, and mixing media. Abstract collaging is at the heart of the process. At times I digitize my 2D and/or 3D work, then reimagine the work as a new mixed media collage, the possibilities are endless. I am a storyteller. Texture is so important for me in telling narratives. I use all mediums in my art practice to bring life to each piece. I play with ordinary materials used by my seamstress grandmother and other immigrant women -- fabric, lace, clothespins, safety pins, cowrie shells, beads, buttons, and string. Other ephemeral materials are also sourced in antique stores, newspapers, historical documents, old photos, hymnals, to name a few.

My work comes from a deeply spiritual place that enables me to travel through cosmic energy, and time. I listen to the voice of God sometimes in silence, other times listening to music, to translate messages from ancestors, and unborn spirits. My art practice is informed, in part, by nature, in particular water, wind, and trees, at times visible in my colors, textures, translucency and even sound. I am an advocate for women, using history, politics, culture, and imagination to tell their stories. My art is a commentary on injustice and the magical thick lives of marginalized people. I create as a way of unpacking rage, pain, contradictions, beauty, agency, and joy, while trying to understand the complex history and narrative of blackness in the United States and black the diaspora. I hope viewers ask questions and thinks more critically about the world around them.