Artist Statement
My artwork explores the issues that affect Black women in America. Each painting focuses on the expressions that represent our expectations, self-image and the essence that lies behind the façade of society’s perceptions. Perceptions that can conflict with the truth of who we really are inside. Fueled by childhood memories of the underappreciated women of my world, my work explains the hegemonic veil which covers the struggle between self and the perceived social order. The women who are the subject of my paintings push away the boundaries of society’s false perceptions. A resistance that I represent in my work by placing the image of each woman in the middle of the painting, pushing up against the confines of the canvas borders. This position is combined with a background that symbolizes each woman’s personality and her experiences to give a realistic image of who she is as an American woman. Combining these with color and subtle historical symbolism, each painting is a visual documentation of the transition of fading away from stereotypical falsehoods towards a truer self.
Articles About the Artist”
January 16, 2024 Elizabeth Kramer, “Regional Black Artist Breadth of ‘Perspectives’, Louisville Arts Bureau, Louisville, KY
March 13, 2022 “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Portrait”, Natalie Weis, UnderMain Digital Magazine, Lexington, KY
September 10, 2021, “Artist Spotlight: Sandra Charles-Mellwood Art Center, Louisville, KY