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Artist Statement

I don’t want my art to just be seen, I want it to be experienced. My focus is to successfully convey a message or feeling through the images, colors, and brushstrokes in my work. I like to speak from my personal life experiences from my perspective as a young black male in America. My aim is to explore social issues, culture, and history of the black community in the diaspora and abroad. My style is more graphic than realistic. I believe this makes the work easier for younger audiences to digest and also so that the viewer is focusing more on the content rather than just what the piece looks like. Reflecting the human figure is very powerful to me, which is why I choose to tell my stories through portraiture and figurative works.  I want to create art that that the viewer connects with on a personal level. I want them to be able to see themselves, their friends, and their family in my work. By telling my story I want to help the viewer rediscover theirs.

www.cooliras.com

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