One of the few things that remained consistent throughout my life has been art. Since I got my first camera when three-years-old, my art was for me. Art keeps me alive. It is the outlet I have that allows me to express the things I'm unable to say out loud. For me, art is used to verbalize my thoughts, question myself, and question the world around me. I challenge myself by making myself feel things I'd rather not feel. I address topics I'd prefer not to address. I engage with materials and ideas that frighten me, and often find myself surprised by the outcome. My work exists to challenge the things we find commonplace in the world. I hide cryptic messages within each of my pieces that only I can understand because there are certain things I'm not ready to open up about but need to release. Because of this, the knowledge that a viewer has about me before viewing my work directly correlates with their understanding of my intentions regarding a piece.
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My work is not meant to be easily accessed by all. Viewers will respond to specific parts of my work in different ways, and I invite open interpretation. I do not invite viewers to tell me what my intentions were in creating my work. I use my work to make people ask questions and know me fuller. My work carries heavy topics like race, trauma, and loneliness, which I represent covertly, mirroring my survival strategy. I have found that when I am straight forward, it makes people uncomfortable, which is not my intention. A viewer not only views the work, but they also engage with an inner dialogue sparked by a feeling or memory brought up by the work. The viewer of my work seeks not only to understand me and my motives, but are also asked to question their understanding of themselves in relation to the work.
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Art has provided a way for me to connect with others. Many of us have had similar experience, but that does not mean we have the all answers. We all have different personalities, genetic make-ups, resources, and interpretations of situations; therefore these shared experiences affect us differently. It is problematic when we assume we know what others need and how to best help them without consulting them. Allowing people to share their story is one of the main purposes of art and that is what I want my work to inspire: authentic explorations of the self.
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