Born and raised in Southern California I started my interest in the arts at an early age. I embraced my artist journey even more in high school while attending a performing arts high school focusing on visual arts. I continued my studies of the arts into college, and in 2013 I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts. At the end of my college career, I found myself asking the question more and more - " Where are the representation of my people or those that look like myself and my family?" How can I create work that is both unique, empowering, and spark conversations, while also keeping our environment in mind? These very questions sparked the creation of Afrocentric Keyy; an Eco-conscious oil paint portraiture style using recycled wood as my canvas!
By re-purposing these wood materials I am able to turn “trash into treasure” creating distinctive human figures and animal-infused portraits. Bringing together the unique qualities of working on a wood canvas that had its own story and breathing life into it again creating a new evolved story to preserve. Digging deeper into my process I found myself seeing life differently and carving out my own art genre I’ve coined ‘Contemporary Afro-Realism Portraiture’. My work mimics viewing the world through thermal night vision goggles. Through these thermal goggles, I discovered that I no longer saw the ordinary limbs, skin, hair, and eyes; but instead, I saw beyond it, and glimpsed the unseen. I saw the red and green undertones, the orange and blue shadows with teal highlights and golden streaks where the light reflected against the curvature of bone and muscle. With these details, I bring focus to promote our beauty, strength, realness, and uniqueness in each painting. The goal is to generate a two-way engagement, involving visual interaction and telling of the stories of Black women. Each painting opens a space to ignite emotions and start conversations around art and the visual representation of those from the African, African American, and Afro-Caribbean diaspora.
Now residing in New York City I have developed a knack for expressing myself through vibrant use of color and creativity. My art has also allowed me to showcase in Australia in beautiful cities such as Sydney and Brisbane. Having the opportunity to travel; both national and internationally with my artwork; has given me a wider perspective on what more I can do as a woman creative in a space that is still predominantly male-dominated. Afrocentric Keyy has become more than just a name and brand; it has become who I am and the mark I want to leave on the world.
