ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a fine artist. My work fuses the past with the future; the traditional with the contemporary, in a spirit of infinite simplicity that transforms daily living into spiritual awareness. Some have said that my work shows my penchant for utilizing strong colors and keen graphic sensibility. In Senegal I studied how to balance art, how to be symmetrical with my art form, how to transform the line and the form, and use aspects of the past to look forward. These characteristics come through in my current art work.
The mask in Africa is known to represent a symbol of how humans connect with others. Some masks represent serenity; others represent initiation, protection, and connection to nature. My art takes the mask to another level by representing not only serenity, but continuation of the past with the future by using a variation of form and colors. The masks talk to me, they tell me a story and I try to relay that story to the viewer.
My work is about creating balance, spirituality, and elevation from the earth, water, and air. I like to be connected to nature. I try to be natural and close to the earth in my life by using meditation and prayer. I hope that my work brings happiness to those who view it. I am inspired to make love eternal between human beings.
I have entitled my new work life and love as it is a connection with reality and the future to build family. I chose these colors because they are colors of the spirit and they smell of what some may call the “give and take” of life.
With some of my art I think about how one loves a certain aspect of life. For example, with the piece entitled “melody”, I thought about couples and how they must compromise. With the piece entitled “lovers”, I thought of family, togetherness, and sacrifice. In “crescent” I am depicting an ancestral spirit.