Beneath the Color confronts the painful contrast between what the world sees and what it chooses not to see.
Across the surface, oversized strands of colorful yarn create movement, energy, and an almost joyful appearance. But at the center, that color disappears. A dark form interrupts the composition—black, exposed, and marked by splashes of red.
For me, that darkness represents a reality that is too often hidden beneath the surface.
Across the world, Black people continue to experience violence, persecution, exploitation, displacement, and loss. Our labor is used. Our pain is witnessed and sometimes ignored. Lives are lost, yet the world around that suffering can continue almost unchanged.
The surrounding color represents that contradiction. Everything can appear vibrant, comfortable, even beautiful, while profound suffering exists beneath it.
This work is not an attempt to erase joy from the Black experience. Our joy, creativity, culture, and resilience are real. But resilience should never become an excuse for others to overlook our pain.
Beneath the Color asks the viewer to look past the surface—to acknowledge what has been buried, softened, covered, or made easier not to see.
36 × 36 inches
Yarn & acrylic on canvas
Beneath the Color confronts the painful contrast between what the world sees and what it chooses not to see.
Across the surface, oversized strands of colorful yarn create movement, energy, and an almost joyful appearance. But at the center, that color disappears. A dark form interrupts the composition—black, exposed, and marked by splashes of red.
For me, that darkness represents a reality that is too often hidden beneath the surface.
Across the world, Black people continue to experience violence, persecution, exploitation, displacement, and loss. Our labor is used. Our pain is witnessed and sometimes ignored. Lives are lost, yet the world around that suffering can continue almost unchanged.
The surrounding color represents that contradiction. Everything can appear vibrant, comfortable, even beautiful, while profound suffering exists beneath it.
This work is not an attempt to erase joy from the Black experience. Our joy, creativity, culture, and resilience are real. But resilience should never become an excuse for others to overlook our pain.
Beneath the Color asks the viewer to look past the surface—to acknowledge what has been buried, softened, covered, or made easier not to see.
36 × 36 inches
Yarn & acrylic on canvas
