Artist Statement

In our everyday lives we see the influence of African American lifestyles and fashion. Being African American myself, I feel the need to embrace it and incorporate this way of life into my art. The various clothing styles of Black Americans have changed much throughout the years and will further evolve to influence others in the future. I’ve always been interested in fashion from afar and want to incorporate it into my work. 

I feel it is important to represent the clothing made popular by Black Americans, mostly taken place in the late 90s and early 2000s. When researching the clothing styles of Black Americans in this era I noticed just how expressive but also classy everything is. The huge nameplate necklaces, and baggy t-shirts and jeans, along with the high class style seen in shows like Fresh Prince of Bel-air and Martin. Examples include sweater vests, pearl jewelry, and nautical style hats. Growing up around these types of influences was not easy; a lot of characteristics of Black Americans were seen as being ghetto and hood or ratchet looking. In this series, I will be taking these negative stereotypes and turning them into positive ones.  

This series consists of black and white graphic portraits with a monochromatic color scheme added. This graphic art style is something that I have always been drawn to and has evolved in many different styles. It stands out with its use of vibrant colors and striking line work. With this highly vivid style, I hope to bring attention and awareness to the 90s and 2000s era of Black American fashion  . I will achieve this through different media using digital techniques, as well as screen printing.