I create familiarity through pictures that tell a story about identity, culture, and community that hold symbolic meaning. There is a connectivity, a oneness between my body and the medium that is uncertain, messy, and progressive. Creating portraiture allows me to recreate those sensations. I photograph and source through photographic archives found on social media when choosing my subjects with the intention of the subject and the surrounding environment. Looking beyond the image, I intentionally unveil and saturate various shades of value and temperature when mixing colors to amplify the beauty and vibrancy of the people and community. The figures in my paintings and drawings present the past, present, and future. I want to draw the viewer inward, looking through the surrounding borders, acting as a window. My goal is to uplift, liberate, and represent people of color and our community.