Akira Gordon
What I am most interested in as an artist is painting Black figures and placing them in environments. Although I draw inspiration from looking at old masterworks, I’m upset when the people in those paintings don’t look like me or many of the people that I know. I hope to bridge that gap and give Black people images that they can relate to in some way without making a political statement. Instead, I show figures in leisure, doing the mundane and ordinary. I want my work to intrigue the viewer for its technical aspects and for its content and to be meaningful, with layered narratives they can dive into. I find the most authentic way to do this is through self-portraiture and referencing my own experiences. I use myself as a reference for my paintings because I know myself deeply and I believe it’s important to examine my own life