Artist’s Statement

My artistic practice exists at the intersection where the personal becomes political, and the act of creation becomes an act of liberation. I believe there is no boundary between the artist and the human; my professional output is a necessary extension of my life, guided by a commitment to resilience, history, and the stewardship of our shared spaces. 

I approach my work through the philosophy of the "Mended Narrative." In my practice, mending is not an act of erasure or a return to a pre-damaged state; it is a structural intervention that acknowledges the history of a break to build a more resilient whole. By utilizing the precision of the needle trade, I treat the process of repairing a textile as identical to the process of mending a life. 

Togetherness, in this context, is a craft. It requires the mastery of heart, eyes, and hand to balance the tension between individual identity and collective experience. When I stitch, I am not merely joining materials; I am building an understanding of how we can repair the social fabric, turning the scars of history into the most durable parts of our shared story. 

My work is rooted in the values passed down through my Black American lineage—love, truth, honor, and grace. My methodology is process-based, transforming complex, often painful social concepts into tangible forms through the discipline of repetition and problem-solving. 

Organizing existence around the needs of the mind, body, and spirit ensures that every piece is imbued with the necessary emotional and physical stamina to spark conversation. The "slow art" movement serves as an environmental and social imperative; by meticulously sourcing materials and layering traditional techniques with contemporary inquiry, these textured works become long-term investments in a collective future. 

As a practitioner in the needle trade, navigating the power dynamics of history firsthand allows the art to act as a vehicle for public education. This practice invites viewers to move beyond the monologue of established history and into a living, responsive dialogue. 

My goal is to collapse the distance between technical, vocational expertise and communal storytelling. Whether through hand-embroidered flags or experimental mixed-media installations, I aim to create work that functions as a place of agency—a space where we can speculate on the future, disrupt damaging norms, and reclaim our narratives. 

By layering together the threads of history and the future, I invite the viewer to contemplate how we are shaped by the world, and more importantly, how we can actively reshape it together. My work is an invitation to dream of new possibilities, building a foundation of strength, balance, and liberation for the generations to follow.