Artist Statement
“Self-awareness and self-acceptance as a Black American woman come from understanding the indestructible spirit of our origins. Free? exemplifies this by portraying five generations of my family (four generations of maternal lineage), each face representing a different era. From ascending to descending order, the work honors the past and present. From right to left, the faces include my great-great-grandmother Mary Ellen, my great-grandmother Freddie Lee, my grandmother Edna, my mother Karla, and finally, descending to infant me.
Each face carries the weight of history, resilience, and hope. Together, they symbolize the transgressions of time, and the dreams passed down through generations.
This digital photo collage and painting serves as a powerful reminder to the Black community to honor where we came from and celebrate the ancestors who paved the way for our existence.
Ultimately, ‘Free?’ reflects the sentiment: “We come from ancestors of greatness; we must live to honor them.”””