Artist Statement

My art practice is a mix of sculptural collage, mixed media, found object, costume, printmaking, and digital art. My work deals with themes of race, sexuality, and gender; identity and loss of identity; our concept of garbage; my relationship to the environment; and my relationship to climate change. I experiment with using garbage and found objects because I’m fascinated with the idea that we throw away things that can be beautiful. I love transforming materials from garbage to art, and through my experimentation, I’ve been able to create costumes that make a statement about my identity. I use my art as a form of therapy and find comfort and healing in making. Many of my pieces deal with the idea of healing through art, specifically healing of familial, racial, and generational trauma, as well as loss of identity. My identity as a Black queer person is often questioned and invalidated by others, and my art is a way for me to take back my identity, power, and history. Through my work, I express my frustration with not being “Black enough”, “gay enough,” or “queer enough,” and show the world that I don’t have to fit anyone else’s expectations for the way I look, love, talk, or live.