As an artist my multidisciplinary practice is best described as the architectural abstraction of cosmetics, my work systematizes and reappropriates the procedural layering that is “make-up” in both physical and digital mediums. Fragments of “The Face” become small canvases through which a myriad of expressions can be brought forth. Each cast, though a copy, represents the multitude that is the diaspora and challenges the classical notions of beauty rooted in whiteness and heteronormativity.
Hard and soft is the black femme experience and this is embodied in my material palette: plaster, silicone, resin, window mesh, fabric, water, mirrors, zip ties, paints, sights, and sounds are brought together to express joy, rage, sadness, restriction, love, tenderness, freedom, and celebration. My background in architecture and makeup artistry make my influences broad from makeup artists Pat McGrath and Damien Dufresne, to artists Senga Nengudi and Sam Gilliam, and finally designer/architects Petra Blaisse and Jean Nouvel. Each inspires my work in different ways, whether it’s the abstract use of paint on a body and a canvas, to the reclamation of ready-made objects, or the use of unique materials to define and divide space.
My upbringing, moving between Senegal, Europe, and the US is the source of my inspiration. Reconciling, reimagining, and reinterpreting my Senegalese roots through my unique diasporic lens drives the work. With my practice, the interest in layering, and notions of repetition and multiplicity permeate into all aspects of my process through material, moving image, and sound. As my practice develops my intent is to continue to extrapolate the connections between my queer identity, my culture, and offer new means of understanding the world.