That’s a wrap!!!
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This was the, by far, the largest and most intense piece I’ve painted yet. ‘The Elements of Development’ was completed on the Public Library in Towson, MD yesterday.
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Massive thank you to @towsonchamber and @muralartistco for this amazing opportunity. Thank you @deirdreaikin for the hospitality, and 100,000 THANK YOUS TO @lil_bees_dream_emulator for the assistance on many fronts🙏🏾❤️🙏🏾
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More photos to come soon! Now... I need to take a nap🤣
“This is Black Art” is the first piece that I’ve created during my residency at @indigo_people.me . It was made as a response to the fact that Black art (and Black people) is often viewed as a monolith that has to include certain imagery or style in order to fit within a predetermined mold. However, as a Black artist, everything that I do is ‘Black Art.’ All of my experiences are within every piece that I create and I feel, as a culture, it is crucial to expand this idea of what black art is.
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This past weekend, I read an article on @blackartinamerica_ where artist and sculptor Debra Hand so beautifully encapsulated everything I had been thinking/feeling in a piece titled, “Black Artists and Collectors Are Facing Their Most Critical Decision In American Art History”. I HIGHLY suggesting checking it out. 🙏🏾✌🏾
“I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.” - Frederick Douglass. ❤️🖤🧡💛💚
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This project meant SO much to me. Not only was it my first official court mural, it was also for Douglass Park, in honor of Frederick Douglass. Since I was a kid, the life of Frederick Douglass fascinated and inspired me. The way that he used intellect, determination and language to break through the most severe oppression and violence is nothing short of extraordinary.
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Then you think about the function of a court in a public space. How it brings together people from every walk of life, creates spontaneous collaboration and unity, while also serving as a place of solace where people can refine their skill set through determination and hard work. The weight of this project was not lost on me, and I truly hope we did it justice.
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Thank you again to @champaignparkdist@ccafricanamericanheritage@experiencechampaign and @40north for making this project come to life 🫶🏾🙏🏾
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And another Thank You (they’ll never stop, y’all 😄) to @rachelgloriaia@internalheartdrive@sludgedream@weigsworld@arce_cola for everything. For real, everything. Y’all crushed this install through tornado warnings and 90° days. And hot damn is this thing crispy ✨✨✨🫶🏾🙏🏾🫶🏾
Being a full-time artist ain’t easy. Being a parent sure as hell isn’t either. But I am so grateful for the culture and community that I’m able to raise these kiddos in, surrounded by color, fearlessness and joy.
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In working on this install for @samigiarra mural as part of @hankwillisthomas upcoming exhibition at @ogunquitmuseum , the girls came with for a session. I watched them take in the work for the first time pause and smile when they read ‘Trust Women’ aloud. Thank you to @samigiarra@ogunquitmuseum and all the other folks trudging through, creating and sharing truthful and necessary work through this absolute shitshow of a time.🫶🏾
More often than not, there are lengthy stories behind mural installations. Sometimes looking at old pieces can instantly transport you to all the feels from that moment in time.
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This piece at @icaatmeca was painted during the height of COVID, the occupation at city hall and the protests against police brutality. There were counter-protestors (aka assholes attempting to intimidate people) on one of the nights and the streets were very much buzzing. It was such a unique time period for the city and I was right in the middle of the busiest street in town, basically in a fishbowl, painting a piece about representation and being unafraid of taking up space in a primarily white environment. What. A. Time… Fortunately enough, the @icaatmeca was a safe haven for me to create in the midst of it all. I’ve been organizing images for a future project, and revisiting these pieces has been quite the trip 🙏🏾✌🏾
I had the IMMENSE pleasure of painting a piece for @p3maine at their offices here in Portland 🙏🏾✌🏾
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We first worked together for a piece they created for our Farnsworth Museum mural in 2023. I was asked to come in and sprinkle a lil gem interpretation of their ‘Always Daring, Never Reckless’ motto on the main wall in their office spaces. We had SO much fun hanging with this team!!! Thank yall so much for having us and for the hilarity and hospitality 🫶🏾🙏🏾 another thanks to @rachelgloriaia and @sludgedream for the solid assist in getting this completed 😊🫶🏾
‘By Any Means’
30” x 40” acrylic on cradled wood panel
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Being a parent is wild in so many ways. Watching them navigate the world often causes me to reexamine and dissect those same years and experiences from my youth. Their world is so much different than mine was; but the lessons learned in preparing to be a black person in this country seem to carry through generations. There are many harsh truths and realities that I would love to not have to expose them to at such young ages, but these are vital for survival and sanity.
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I’ve been in the studio a lot over the last few months, diving deep into these thoughts and doing things that scare the shit out of me. Excited to share them with the world when we done cookin 👨🏾🍳
‘Isn’t She Lovely’
20” x 24” spray paint on cradled wood panel.
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Private commission from a few years back. This came to mind when we were talking about ‘no-skip’ albums and Stevie’s ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’ hit the top, obviously.
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I’ve been spending so much time in the headphones lately, I’m trying to hear something new. What’s your ‘no-skip’ album(s)?
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(I had Madvillain and The Infamous right up there too, pleasebelieveit) 🙌🏾
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‘Grow Confidently’ 🦉
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Recent commission for new office spaces on the waterfront in Boston. 😊✌🏾I integrated the company’s brand colors into the piece (even found a spot for the pink 😅) and snuck their logo in the design adjacent to the statement.
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Huge thank you to @alchemystation.art for the trust and opportunity! And thank you to @rachelgloriaia for making this the most perfect install 🥰
Painted a lil sign for @liveatmadrids during a few freakishly tropical days in January. The design is by the remarkable team at @mightmain 🙌🏾🙏🏾 and was a joy to apply with paint. (Love it when letter nerds unite 🤓).
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Thanks to @sludgedream for helping make this happen and striking when the iron was hot. Psyched to check out some shows at this new spot!! See yall thereeee
‘HAVEN’ 😇🙏🏾 for @haven.immlaw
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A few weeks ago I had the immense honor of painting the front windows for Haven Immigration Law. I seem to have a knack for cosmically ending up in specific spaces that reflect what’s happening within our community and beyond. I have to say, that I am SO thankful and appreciative of both the team and the work that Haven and so many immigration law services are doing for the people within our community. 🫶🏾🙏🏾🫶🏾
