Working on this set of work using teal green/blue, gold and white acrylic, paper clay heads with Afrocentric hairstyles, and hand-embellished decorative papers, I wanted to create something that I rarely, if ever, see — a black family in a winter scene. The photo may appear as if the father is not present, but it is the father who is taken the photo of his beloved family. A snapshot in time for his memory, but also the audience.

Their hairstyles are significant because they span hundreds if not thousands of years with the mother having a coiled braid style inspired by a photo of West African women in the early 1900s, a box haircut from the late 80s/early 90s, and a braided bun styled more like hair of the 2000s.

Created: 2023

Size: 16” x 20” (inches)

Materials: Mixed Media - acrylic, decorative papers, paper clay