ARTIST STATEMENT

When creating a piece, I feel powerful and when looking at my subjects, I can feel their power. I draw my inspiration from art history, and envision myself and other powerful women in the styles of neoclassical, romantic and renaissance art. Despite my admiration and love for classic art, there was always a feeling of disappointment that I never saw myself in art history. I rarely saw confident, powerful, and present women, and even less women of color. In the beginning of my journey, I wanted to see a woman looking at her painter with purpose and strength. In art history, women are typically depicted looking away from the painter, or they are oblivious to them being painted at all. I created a woman who knew she was being painted nude and found power in it. From there I created more pieces with women dominating their space and acknowledging their beauty and strength. Many of my pieces are reflections of the environment and political world around me. My primary medium is oil paint. Using the slow drying feature of oils, allows me to create blended fabrics and seamless glowing skin like those in classical art. I also enjoy using the thick texture of oils to create a tangible experience. As I develop my painting abilities, I will continue to produce pieces that fill the gaps in art history and express my perspectives as well as challenge the idea of power and womanhood.