The "beginning" of my practice is/was deeply rooted in my family and the city of East St. Louis, Illinois; I draw inspiration from social and physical landscapes that shape both my identity and that of the city. Despite its history of racial violence, segregation, and industrial fluctuations, East St. Louis has cultivated a resilient community and a rich culture. I translate these layers into my art, creating installations, sculpture, sound, and photography to create immersive environments that explore the essence of a place.

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     My work primarily revolves around cityscapes and edgelands, where urban and rural meet. In cityscapes, I emphasize materials like asphalt and the architectural designs that characterize environments. Poetically, streets hold memories —stories both acknowledged and forgotten—which I interweave into my creations. By manipulating asphalt, a material synonymous with urban roads, I craft new narratives. For example, in my sound installation "Tha Block is Hot," I built five six-foot-tall pillars wrapped in asphalt, embedding sounds collected over three years: conversations from beauty shops, screeching trains, police sirens, and personal moments like my father's laughter and my mother reciting poetry, all accompanied by a whisper urging safety. Through these everyday sounds and mystical forms, I engage in storytelling that reflects urban life. My focus on edgelands captures spaces where urban and rural landscapes intersect.

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     In my "Building Abandonment Place Marker Series," I photographed hand-built fluorescent orange garden boxes placed in these transitional spaces. These markers symbolize, safety, and visibility amidst perceptions of neglect, prompting viewers to reconsider these spaces defined by their past, present, and potential futures. I am fascinated by the relationship between cityscape culture and natural landscapes, exploring their coexistence and the creative possibilities.  Each structure, object, and interactive installation serves as a vehicle for uncovering the untold stories and hidden narratives within East St. Louis & beyond. ​My artistic approach seeks to challenge the conventional narratives of urban environments, celebrating their resilience and complexities while the memories, playfulness, and familial connections that shape my personal and cultural identity.

 

 

As I grow, so does my art. I am switching focus and find great joy in creating faith-based content as I like to say on the (Big3/Holy3),

while being Founder of Visuals of Faith.

 

In addition to my artistic pursuits, I engage in administrative, consulting, and curatorial roles focusing on building trust among collaborators, enhancing communication and organizational effectiveness, and fostering respectful relationships within artistic communities. I have collaborated with diverse range of entities, including student artists, established professionals, non-profits, community partnerships, universities, and private art collections.