I believe the design of the soul is unfathomable, layered heavily with hues, patterns, dimensions, and textures to deliver responses to our mind and body, so that we can feel and visualize. I am inspired to explore that meaning behind the soul, with mixed media to channel the rhythm of my feelings and imaginations. I envision my work to reveal the joy of making, so that the audience dare to feel confident above obscurity and uncertainty.

My artistic journey began at the College for Creative Studies majoring in Illustration. There, I learned about the golden era of illustration by studying various late American illustrators such as N.C Wyeth, Dean Cornwell, Norman Rockwell, that together created my fundamental knowledge of picture-making. While I appreciated those traditional artists, I am most fascinated with the revolutionary evocative techniques that emerged in the mid-20th century.  Artists like Robert Peak, Burnie Fuchs, and Mark English who projects raw, simplified rendering capabilities and strong shape design inspires me to own my creative freedom.

As a Detroit native, I strive daily to match the city’s inventive spirit, cultural influence, and artistic heritage. Karriem Riggins, Detroit-born jazz drummer, hip-hop producer, and music trailblazer inspires me to be multi-faceted in my craft. Listening to how Riggins fuses drumming with off-the-grid and heavily sampled beats challenges me to explore my own artistic rhythms, and how I can remix them as a visual mixed media artist. I apply Riggins innovative style to my own practice by sampling the cultural aesthetics from the 1960s era, contemporary animation, and fashion. I combine gestural drawing techniques blended with paper collage and painting to create a kaleidoscope of playful mark-making with crisp and organic tones. My work evokes pop, vigor, and harmony by bridging the attitudes I interpret from hip-hop and jazz, even in retrospect.

My journey with mixed media teaches me to, unapologetically, own every mark, shape, and impression I produce on any surface, no matter the number of materials I use. Instead of viewing my artistic mistakes as setbacks, I embrace the opportunity for creative problem solving. With jazz-like improvisation, I juggle between wet and dry mediums, so I can find the best solution to any picture-making problem. I diligently put my craft and ingenuity to the test by pushing the boundaries of creative expression.