Give Me Space is a body of work born out of my genuine curiosity of the world around me. This thesis explores my journey of rediscovering my relationship to my art practice, my identity and the world. I am reflecting on the personal culture shock of transitioning from predominantly Black and Brown spaces to UNCG which has a significantly smaller African American population. The mundane spaces I depict, my apartment, my studio, and the city of Greensboro have all served as places of reflection for me and have become important parts of my development as an artist thus far. The depiction of these, what many would consider, “boring” everyday places are transformed using bright colors which are influenced by the artist collective AfriCOBRA. Through painting and collage, I create confusing and disorienting spaces that are not only representative of the experiences of people of color in spaces where they are considered “other”, but also the psychological human experience. With this work I want the viewer to join me in this disorienting experience and ask themselves “what is reality?”.
