The subject matter, a lot of the time, is the central figure of the paintings which is inspired by me. What surrounds her is this intimate being. In a lot of the paintings, there is this intense hidden space which represents another being inside of her and opens up a conversation about women's intuition and where that comes from: is it inherited? Is it an ancestor? It’s definitely something we have to listen to and it grows with us. In some compositions, the figure is all-knowing and super intense and she sees everything. But other times, the central figure will be more unsure – she’s like: "I feel firm but I’m unclear."
Some of the scrotum flowers are floating around her because I see the scrotum flower as an idea of balance and power. In some compositions, she’s unaware of her proximity to her own power. In other compositions, she’s completely aware and she’s grasping the scrotum flowers. So many things change with each composition but they still stay true to this one person.
Aesthetically, when I’m building up the canvas, I’m thinking: how much is too much? More is more and that’s the point, that’s the goal. It’s a lot of excess and layering. So when you’re speaking about duality within women, I'm thinking how else can I build the surface up to better reflect the topic I'm exploring, I’m adding texture and glitter which is coarse but so mesmerising and bright. That, alone, is totally a depiction of a Black woman for me. These elements are literally protruding off the canvas, and that’s a play on power.
“I’ve come to realise which of my qualities I got from Baltimore and it's really the bluntness: no bullshit, no lies, everything to the forefront. It’s a certain level of coarseness, it’s unapologetic. These are the energies that are within me and make it into my practice.”