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 who each woman is inside. Fueled by childhood memories of the underappreciated women in my neighborhood and later in the corporate workplace, my work explains this 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. I represent this resistance 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 experiences. Using color and subtle historical symbolism, each painting acknowledges the internal struggle as it fades away from the stereotypical towards a truer self.
Articles About the Artist”
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