uic bfa class of 2020

To try and define one’s “blackness”, or what it means to be black in today’s landscape would be an almost impossible task. This is not even taking into account the many vast and fluid ways that one may choose to represent their own sense of “blackness.” The distinction of being a black person comes with its own set of ideals and encounters that most are familiar with yet is still hard to define to the outside world. This is all to say that despite a number of shared experiences, every black person has their own individual connection to the world that cannot be felt by anyone else in spite of our similar struggles and understandings. The art I create is meant to exist in the area where black people as a collective can relate to the message and themes presented, as well as offer a chance for those unfamiliar to get a glimpse into what “blackness” might mean for some.