About me:
My work as an artist is strongly linked to African Diaspora folk cultures. I am very interested in the relationship between “ traditional” ways of making art and examining my personal connection to these traditions as a contemporary African American artist. By exploring how the old and the new can co-exist through my work,I hope to create a blending of sensibilities and art making strategies that make it
apparent how an ever present spiritual, cultural, and improvisational aesthetic can be made meaningful in the contemporary moment. I see my own practice as an artist as one which is related, in some ways, to that of the African griot; as the village griot is important in keeping alive the origins and history of his/her people, I too hold these ancient artistic traditions in high regard as it relates to my own work and how I want it to function. I am also engaged in investigating the possibilities of re-inventing my work through various media. My sculpture reflects ideas from the Minkisi of the Kongo, while my work in fibers stems from the traditions of the Yoruba of Nigeria, West Africa. I also incorporate motifs and images from the Veve’s of Haiti to petroglyphs from the Taino of Puerto Rico. Celestial bodies, dreams, dance, song and spoken word all help me to reconnect with and articulate the spiritual and ancestral aspects of my work. All of these ideas are central to my ultimate pursuit of finding a way to make work that is both ancient and contemporary in its manifestations.
Who I'd like to meet: Other artists for networking and collaboration and people or groups interested in:
exhibiting my work,
purchasing my work,
and learning the art of adire fabric making.
I am available for public shows, private viewing by appointment and for educational classes, workshops and lectures.
I can be reached at ifeart@hotmail.com, resumé and references available upon request.
This Sunday, September 6th 13th Annual LOFT REUNION MACHINE 1256 BOYLSTON ST around the corner from Fenway Park 9pm-2am $5 b4 10pm $10 after 857-891-1960
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