This is my original painting, "Little Red Riding Hood". It is oil paint on a wood-cradled canvas. The artwork is 24 inches (width) x 18 inches (height) x 0.5 inches (depth). Little Red Riding Hood Description: My work focuses on the manifestation of identity, particularly black identity. This identity always forms to show the consistently powerful presence of the black figure. I'm rewriting the narrative that western visual media has historically established by elevating black figures to the role of the protagonist.
There is a definite negative social identity that is imposed upon black youth when the media negates the idea of the "black hero". These pieces break free from this imposed identity and explore new ranges. It's important to see the black protagonist, the black leader, the black achiever. I'm reimagining the woodcutter (the true hero of Little Red Riding Hood) as a contemporary black male. I'm reclaiming the image of a black male with a gun as a deviant criminal. He yearns to save the day, although the stereotypes imposed upon him put him in a compromising position to outsider viewers.