It was a pleasure having Cayenne Harris visit my art studio
to discuss ideas for the Hyde Park Art Center Exhibition, Not Just Another
Pretty Face. In getting to know Cayenne better, I asked her questions about her family, favorite foods,
and travels. She shared with me that one of her family members was part of the
Black Panther movement. I thought this would be an interesting element to
incorporate into the painting. Cayenne was familiar with my portrait and still
life work, so she was open to either subject matter for the project. As we
continued talking, Cayenne shared her experience of traveling to Cuba. She described
the vibrant colors on the buildings and delicious taste of mangoes, which is one
of her favorites fruits. A day after Cayenne’s visit to my studio, I decided to
paint a still life using mangoes and placing them in a Cuban inspired
environment. I wanted to use a saturated color palette to show a decadent time
in Cuba’s history, but also show the passage of time and decay with the cracked
tiles and peeling paint on the wall. Hidden in the peeling paint is a fist
symbolizing the Black Panther’s and a Jewish life symbol, which represent
Cayenne. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work on such a unique
project, and I hope to have more like this in the future.
