Artist Statement
“My art is my voice. My experience and beliefs inspire my works. All my artworks usually have a meaning or message behind them. I want the viewers to understand my thoughts and feelings through my artwork which is why many of my works tend to be suggestive.
Being African, I was born and raised in Ivory Coast until I moved to the United States at eight years old. It was then that I started being uncomfortable with my dark complexion, as people would say, ‘You are too dark to be pretty.’
My models are black people painted with black paint to emphasize that no one is ‘black’ in real life. Black people are shades of brown, but one can be as black as black paint and still be ‘worthy.’
‘The Complications of being Dark Skinned,’is a series of photos that I took to erase the negative stigma around dark skin. The photography focuses on black people being beautiful, unapologetic, strong, human and educated in our world.”