Whether creating delicate paintings influenced by Baroque and Art Nouveau artists, or Afrocentrism-infused Victorian furniture, this exhibition focuses on the importance of visibility, fine craft, and challenging Eurocentric beauty standards while celebrating those who are seen but not heard. Through the use of portraiture, the show explores the intersections of being visible yet invisible as a Black Queer artist and allow it to be a teacher to be a model for navigating the complexities of contemporary culture and Neo-black identity. 

Walking the line between visibility and invisibility, the show sheds light on intersectional invisibility's role in Black and Queer people's perceptions and experiences, using it to reclaim my Blackness. Using portraiture and nontraditional materials in oil painting, I showcase Black people's beauty. I employ heavily textured coral-like hair juxtaposed with softly blended deep skin to draw attention to the naturalistic qualities in Black characteristics. This allows me to envision new ways we might relate to the natural world and one another. In a world where we celebrate our diversity, I look to find what makes us one of the same. Exploring the concept of "the gaze" in my compositions, I play with non-verbal communication through the gaze and bodily gestures, allowing the works to have a conversation between them. I push this idea by creating seductive color combinations to address serious issues, pulling the viewers in to be confronted with the critical issues of the Black and Queer communities. 

In this senior exhibition, I have divided my body of works into two parts: one series that employs color to celebrate and uplift Black people to a state of worship, and one series in absence of color to address the issue of invisibility and hypervisibility of Black and brown peoples’ lives. In addition to color, my use of gold leaf ornaments and foliage references Renaissance paintings, drawing attention to the figures and uplifting them to a status of worship and celebration. In this body of work I pay tribute to those who came before me, reclaiming my Afrocentric roots and, in turn, breaking the divide that separates us and showcasing what makes us the same.