Artist Biography
An Alaskan native, Indianapolis-based self-taught artist whose interdisciplinary practice draws from a kaleidoscope of cultural nuance, insight, and connection with extensive experience in the Fine Arts as a prolific visual creator who fabricates outputs that push the boundaries of creativity in 2- and 3-dimensional work, which feature personal
symbolism and reflective imagery pervasive of African and Latine/a/o/x Diasporic culture relative to contemporary women of color, her triad lineage (African American/Puerto Rican/Dominican), and the Divine Feminine in what she defines and renders as being "Goddess Persona." Her creative research explores subjects in rich, highly-worked and complex organic forms resulting in my perspective of contemporary women of color spanning Goddess persona archetypes linking to assimilation and ancestral connection through the lens of womanism, feminism and collective knowledge.
symbolism and reflective imagery pervasive of African and Latine/a/o/x Diasporic culture relative to contemporary women of color, her triad lineage (African American/Puerto Rican/Dominican), and the Divine Feminine in what she defines and renders as being "Goddess Persona." Her creative research explores subjects in rich, highly-worked and complex organic forms resulting in my perspective of contemporary women of color spanning Goddess persona archetypes linking to assimilation and ancestral connection through the lens of womanism, feminism and collective knowledge.
This work encompasses physical/spiritual reminders of female liberation, perseverance, and naturalistic connectivity
reflective of investigation and interpretation of the feminine as an entity influenced by social issues, colorism, identity nuances, Latinidad/Blackness/Négritude, belonging, stereotypical assumptions, otherness, indigenous wisdom's- folklore, memory, ritual, the mythology, magic, the sensual, spiritual, and the sacred while proudly bearing the physical and emotional detritus of life's survival and ties parallel to our progenitors origins depicting allegorical females in a state of self-discovery, insight, empowerment, affirmation, healing and limitlessness. In fashioning her work, she utilizes a
wide spectrum of traditional and unconventional media and materials (steel to stone/paint to paper), integrating vibrant
hues, patinas, embellished surfaces, repoussagé and chased relief, handwrought treatments, and emphasized textures.
reflective of investigation and interpretation of the feminine as an entity influenced by social issues, colorism, identity nuances, Latinidad/Blackness/Négritude, belonging, stereotypical assumptions, otherness, indigenous wisdom's- folklore, memory, ritual, the mythology, magic, the sensual, spiritual, and the sacred while proudly bearing the physical and emotional detritus of life's survival and ties parallel to our progenitors origins depicting allegorical females in a state of self-discovery, insight, empowerment, affirmation, healing and limitlessness. In fashioning her work, she utilizes a
wide spectrum of traditional and unconventional media and materials (steel to stone/paint to paper), integrating vibrant
hues, patinas, embellished surfaces, repoussagé and chased relief, handwrought treatments, and emphasized textures.
INTERRELATEDNESS
REMEMBRANCE OF LINGERING III
FOR THE DAUGHTERS WHO REMEMBER
Artist Statement
The Afro-Latino community in Puerto Rico has a rich historical and cultural heritage, a diverse one that should be archived and celebrated. Latine culture means community. To be Latine and truly care for this facet of the community
means turning back to push forward and paying homage to our Taino Indian ancestors, native to Puerto Rico, and to the members of the Yoruba tribe, which settled there after they were brought to the island as enslaved West Africans.
means turning back to push forward and paying homage to our Taino Indian ancestors, native to Puerto Rico, and to the members of the Yoruba tribe, which settled there after they were brought to the island as enslaved West Africans.
In INTERRELATEDNESS, the subject or protagonist of my piece wears a "headwrap," a form of self-expression symbolizing identity, dignity, cultural heritage, as well as resistance. Meanings can range from a spiritual connection, an act of defiance or wealth and status. The three skulls reference my own immediate lineage: Puerto Rican, African American, and Dominican, parallel to my intrinsic ancestral connection to the spiritual. I view the Hummingbirds as healers, the incorporeal,
messengers or liaisons from deceased loved ones or the spirit world.
messengers or liaisons from deceased loved ones or the spirit world.
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I have recently dealt with death, where previously many of my family, friends and associates were thriving, the call to come home has touched quite a few. I've come away from these past years experiences with a much deeper understanding of the finite time that we have here on earth, an increased awareness, intrigue and greater acceptance of mortality and the process of grieving. In REMEMBRANCE OF LINGERING III, I seek to share this insight, which has enlightened me through this ongoing series of 2 -dimensional visual expression.
I see the Island of Enchantment as a beautiful place full of breathtaking people of color, culture, multi-ethnic identity, and heritage, WE come in all colors, and that's key to what makes Puerto Rico unique. As an adult, I have used brief periods of time to visit the island to reflect, attempt to grieve and self-heal from the loss of the opportunity and connection to engage with family unknown to me, to not intimately know a place that I am a part of, not having the privilege of being raised on the island, not being able to run and play as a child along the warm sands of the beach...
Lingering memory signifies the remembrance of moments which creates a profound emotional bond between past and present longing. I painted this art-piece in honor of memory, sorrow, spirit, belonging, estrangement, dispossession..my inner child's utter loneliness, as well as the stinging acceptance of life passing on and the regret of things that were spoken, taken or words left unsaid.
The birds and the accompanying ghost echoes are of the Puerto Rican Emerald species, a hummingbird endemic to the island, as are the flowers. The kaftan/caftan is traditional, with roots tracing back thousands of years to the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia.
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Puerto Rico’s melting pot of Taino, Spanish, and African roots is an integral part of my DNA; the island’s rich Afro-Puerto Rican heritage and connection to the Motherland are evident in every aspect of the country. In FOR THE DAUGHTERS WHO REMEMBER (Sway Series), my sculptural relief piece draws from the Bomba dance, derived from a traditional Puerto Rican musical genre, Plena, that features rhythmic percussion, storytelling, and dance. The female figure is composed of variations of metallic melanin, embodying the diversity of the people and cultures of the island. She is forever a part of the P.R. as the reddish portion of her body represents the island's Bayamón soil/earth.
The dancer is surrounded by nature, referencing the interconnectedness of all living things and the delicate balance within the Puerto Rican ecosystem. Her skirting is fashioned from hibiscus flowers as well as vines and roots, signifying a bond between humans, the Earth, and Mother Nature/God. The "Sways" (the hand-wrought metal sculptural embellishments symbolize the skies and waters of the
island, and the spirals speak to the past, present, and the cycles of existence of the future.
island, and the spirals speak to the past, present, and the cycles of existence of the future.
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