As a multiracial woman I find it difficult to relate to any singular culture. Though I participate within both white and black American communities, my involvement is often contradictory or inharmonious. I am neither “black-enough” nor “white-enough.” I am unable to fully connect with, or emulate, key characteristics of either group. Thus, I feel suspended between the two, belonging to neither. I turned to painting to explore—and in effect create—my own cultural and racial identity. 

By taking popular visual media that deals with black or white American culture, I dismantle the imagery through formal conventions (line, color, composition, etc.) to literally deconstruct my identity. The vibrant colors reflect the energetic behaviors, beliefs, and actions of the group in question while I am presented as a grey figure. My hue in my paintings—or lack thereof—is a visual representation of identifying as black and white (black + white = grey) and falling between two cultures in a “grey zone.” The lack of vibrancy in my skin further emphasizes my inability to assimilate with, or reflect, the vibrant cultures surrounding me. At times my "assimilation" may appear forced or voluntary; violent or passive; recognizable or foreign.

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