Photo Credit: Eddie Hernandez

My art practice focuses on Black Joy.  Black Joy, a spiritual feeling that has uplifted the African Diaspora through countless trials and tribulations in the quest for freedom and equity.  It defies a simplistic explanation.  Black Joy is like a heartbeat.  Never bitter, it is sweeter than the blackest of cherries or the richest of chocolates.  It is a steady climb or an out-of-frame kiss.  It is a moment that is magical, that expands what it means to be Black, and does not limit Black people to being solely objects of judgment and discrimination.  My joy, my Black Joy may not be the same as the next.  For me, it is a vehicle for connection, educating others and sharing my experience as a Black man.  I am able to develop authentic empathy for my subject matter, laying their soul bare in my art making. At once, the viewer connects not only with my subject matter, but also me. - CAW