Portraiture has a singularly powerful role in the shaping of identity through the visual arts. My work explores the objectification of minorities in various visual mediums and the perceptions of culture, class and American identity that we inherit from a lifetime surrounded by racialized imagery. The media and other ideological apparatuses visually control the common representation of race, class, and culture.  As a result African Americans have often been depicted in subordinate derogatory ways. Relying on the use of historical source material and the subversion of modern and archaic media, my work explores the role those images have played in establishing and fostering racial identity.

My current work consists of re-creations of 19th century still-life paintings; depicting decadent displays of chic cuisine merged with images of southern soul food.  The selection of soul food is based on meals originating from 19th century African American slave life. This series of work exists at the intersection of two big issues -- the symbolism of food, ideographic imagery and the systematic oppression of visual representation, particularly as it relates to African American culture. The deceptiveness of imagery can create rifts between the public perception of history and actual facts.  It is from within these gaps that I pull my resources with intentions of momentarily subverting the viewer’s perceptions of power, class, race, criminality, and morality; if only to inspire a new dialogue.