A documentation of the history of Black America, from the brutal practice of slavery to the epidemic of gun violence and mass incarceration that plague the black communities of America’s inner cities
oil on canvas, 60 x 72, 2019
America has long shunned or marginalized people of diverse sexuality. Over the past several decades, sexual orientation has become an important topic of discussion and debate across contemporary America. When I was in college, I made friends with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students. I learned that sexuality goes far beyond stereotypes, that definitions do not define forms of interest or personality traits. In order to make America (and the world) a better place, societies must view sexuality in these terms: these differences make beauty, and this beauty creates the underlying currents of revelation within America today.
oil on canvas, 60 x 72, 2019
Over the past several years, Maine has been experiencing an influx of immigrants from countries filled with political corruption and civil unrest: Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan, Rwanda, Congo, Afghanistan, Gabon, Angola and Uganda. I have had the privilege with live and work with immigrants in Portland. A continuing flow of immigrants have settled here, bringing different cultures to this New England community.
I urge everyone to get to know the immigrants within their communities. Their stories and lively spirits diminish what is reported on the Nightly News. A person does not need to know a language or a religion to make a friend. It is through such friendships that our society will become more aware of other communities, and thereby create communication and harmony within the world itself.
Oil on Canvas, 60” x 72” Year: 2019
In America, women have been oppressed for a long time, centuries in which women have struggled for equality in all parts of the nation. This fight spans religion, race, ethnicity, economic and educational status. In America, if you are female, you have a greater chance of being denied opportunities to enhance your quality of life: college, a well-paying job, voting status, health care, reproductive freedom. Recently, there has been a surge of political movements across America (and the world) demanding societal equality for women.
This work is a representation of the faces of women seen within this movement: the beauty of their diversity, and that they are all fighting for one goal: equality for all!
oil on canvas, 48 x 60, 2016
Every day, when I walk the streets of Portland, I see homeless men and women sitting on streets and benches, holding cardboard signs, imploring passersby with passages of desperation and religious hope. I have seen them in the throes of drugged belligerence, hopelessness and detachment. But I have also seen homeless people be cheerful, in stark contrast to their circumstances. Such encounters make me question the economic security of America, a country that is seen as ‘the richest nation on earth.’ It has made question the rest American society, where the everyday person going to work or school does not acknowledge American’s homeless, a population that is steadily growing each year.
I urge people to become aware of presence of the homeless within their community, to donate to soup kitchens, to raise money for shelters. Say hello to the smiling person who has lost everything, and wish them a good day.
oil on canvas, 48 x 60, 2019
Over the past several decades, America has been involved in some of the bloodiest conflicts of the modern age: Vietnam, Korea, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, Iraq. In these conflicts thousands of Americans lost their lives, young men and women who were full of zeal to make their country secure from any invasion. However, the soldiers who come home from these conflicts often suffer from severe psychological problems: depression, anxiety, anger, and hopelessness. Many veterans use drugs and alcohol to numb the pain forged on the battlefield. I know people who have served in the military, and struggle with these memories of pain.
This work symbolizes the feelings of guilt and grief that vets face every single day. I urge the American people to support our veterans and to give them the support needed when they return home. The nation becomes stronger by giving back to those who serve.
oil on canvas, 48 x 60, 2019
America has huge issues of equality in education. This is especially true when it comes to race. When I was in college, I met and befriended students of color from Chicago, New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia. When they told the stories of their neighborhoods, I realized I am lucky to have received a stellar education, clothes on my back, and dinner at night, and a warm place to sleep.
I learned of another world: where just walking home is trespassing into a war zone, where gunshots are as common as hip hop, and where being confined to a jail cell is more common than attending college, or even completing high school.
This piece symbolizes the harsh reality of our rigged and unjust educational system, and that changing the narrative will require opposition!
pencil, pastel, ink on paper, 42 x 50, 2019
The American military is racially diverse, but it is not racially equal.
During World War Two, African American and Asian American soldiers were placed in segregated regiments. In the Vietnam war, racial tensions erupted when troops were placed in integrated units. Native Americans have the highest enlistment rate in the military, although the indigenous populations are still in many ways, unrecognized in the poorest regions of the U.S.
This piece shows the diversity of American soldiers, and that they are striving to serve their country with dignity, ready to protect the nation from any form of invasion. As civilians we should honor this diversity, for this acknowledgement makes us stronger as a nation in tolerance and acceptance.
pencil, pastel, ink on paper, 42 x 50, 2019
A present, America is experiencing a vast influx of immigrants from many countries. Due to war and other forms of political unrest many of these individuals have had to flee their countries and are forced to make a new life for themselves in America, arriving in this nation without knowing how to speak English. I urge for local and national communities to welcome and teach these newcomers English, for then these individuals can rebuild their lives and give growth to the American economy, thereby making the world a better place.
pencil and pastel on paper, 42 x 50, 2019
In Portland, I have had the privilege to live among the African communities of southern Maine . I have been invited to attend church, warmly welcomed by the congregation. In these encounters I entered another world, where laughter and song are the beat of everyday life.
This piece symbolizes a moment of quiet connection, where I and a friend wait for a shuttle to take us to a gathering. Even in times of great confusion, I always felt at ease in this friendly community, where those who are not related by blood are considered family in dance, song, conversation and spirit.
pencil and pastel on paper, 42 x 50, 2019