"Black Portrait: Where
some may see flat, static narratives, I see a spectrum of tonal gradations and realities. What I am creating is literally black portraiture with ballpoint pen ink. I’m looking for that in-between state in an individual where the overarching definition is lost. Skin as geography is the terrain I expand by emphasizing the specificity of blackness. From there, the possibilities of portraying a fully-fledged person are endless."
some may see flat, static narratives, I see a spectrum of tonal gradations and realities. What I am creating is literally black portraiture with ballpoint pen ink. I’m looking for that in-between state in an individual where the overarching definition is lost. Skin as geography is the terrain I expand by emphasizing the specificity of blackness. From there, the possibilities of portraying a fully-fledged person are endless."
— Toyin Odutola, 2012
My official artist statement is completed! Kept it short and sweet. Now I can send it out for residencies, competitions, exhibitions and the like. Only took me, oh, 5 years to get a grasp of what I was actually doing and was interested in. Add an additional 3 weeks and here’s the product. I’m quite satisfied with it and am immensely grateful to Bruna for helping me tidy it up. It is now up on my portfolio website, under the CV/Statement section link. (via tobia)
