Empowered by Autumn Goodman
My work explores the multidimensional avenues of women’s empowerment. With a combination of influential direction from Victoria Villasana and Juli Cockburn, I have created contemporary mixed media portraits.
Growing up I was always encouraged to do, say and stand up for what I believe in regardless of societal norms. As an African American, Christian woman, I was expected to stay in my lane. As an African American woman I am to be nurturing, accommodating and of course feminine while having great strength and showing little vulnerability. As a Christian, my role is to accept and not challenge, trust and not doubt and to, at all times, submit. I have seen similar expectations projected on the women in my social circles and have been inspired by their ability to defy and in doing so, empower. Through my experiences and interactions, I have learned the value of challenging those expectations.
As an artist, it is my goal to create work that encourages a thought provoking response once the viewer has stepped away from my art. I aspire to inspire those around me with the things I create and choose to photograph. Throughout my time in college, I have come to learn that art is much more than an aesthetically pleasing array of elements; it is a language intended to communicate the things that are difficult to express, a transmitter of feelings, experiences and moments in life. Art can empower.
—Young Artists Gallery, presented by Orlando Magic, Orlando, FL, April–May 2021