To be a person of color in America is to live under the constant scrutiny of the white gaze. In my work, young people of color take center stage. These individuals are my peers, existing in a primarily white institution in which it is all too easy for their presence to be erased or overlooked. However, in this form, they exist as imposing, larger-than-life figures, their eyes locked on yours as you pass them by. They hold the power, returning your gaze, placing critical attention back onto you as the viewer. In a wall of solid color background, these individuals refuse to be defined by their surroundings or to be lost in the white of the exhibition space. Instead, they take up both physical and visual space, commanding your attention.

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Mina, Micah, Enku, and Omar are painted in oils, a medium rooted in the history of white European aristocracy, but they refuse to cater to standards imposed by the white imagination. Just as it did in traditional European oil paintings in the past, the rich, buttery, quality of the oils help to convey the power and dignity of these young people of color. However, unlike historical depictions of people of color by white European artists, the individuals depicted in these paintings exist on their own terms, as they do in everyday life, with their face at rest, not forced to smile or embrace exoticized ideals. Ultimately, I invite you to be confronted by the presence of Mina, Micah, Enku, and Omar and reflect on your personal connections to the white gaze.

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