Artist Statement:
I’m looking at the dialect between a history of aristocratic representation and the use of portraiture as a statement of power. Here I elevate this figure to a level of high culture that is classically unavailable to her because of her place as a black female. I paint her with such surety so that her place and regalness are unquestioned. I'm inspired by afro-futurism's reimagining of the future through an afro-centric lens. My work does this but instead looks reflectively at the past. This alternative history thinks reflectively about displacement and the biases of actual history.

ID:
A black Elizabethan queen fills the horizontal canvas. The cut-off picture of her starts at her nose (you can't see her eyes). The bottom of the frame ends near her chest and he hands are loosely clasped there also. Her skin is a deep brown and she gives a slight smirk. She has a red elegant ruffle collar that is tipped in lace. Her gown is of rich greens, reds, and blacks. There are rubies, embellishments, and lace adorned over her dress.