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The Rejuvenation 

Artist Statement

       Throughout this series, I portray people of color with the intention  of challenging prejudice and bias perceptions. With their photographs taken within a casual setting, I obscure their faces through the use of elaborate digital illustrations.  I also overlay the landscapes behind them with vivid colors to create a surrealistic world.  This performative action utilizes circles and other geometrics, vibrant colors, and patterns that serve to mask the specifics of their facial features and force viewers to perceive my models as socially neutral. The vibrant colors and added designs to the visuals are accents to emphasize focus onto the figure of my models, allowing their clothes to be the only quality that's revealed. Inspired by their sense of fashion, my models choose what they wear as their only form of self-expression; through fashion they create a voice of how they want to be portrayed.

       For example,  Untitled #1, reveals  the standing figure of my model.  His hands are crossed and he wears a varsity jacket, cargo pants, and sneakers,  His face is masked with a solid yellow circle. The background has been abstracted into vibrant pink and white stripes which are accented with colorful details from structures such as flagpoles and buildings.  The effect is both surreal and psychedelic.  The boldness of the designs communicate confidence and strength.

        In my work, I am symbolically protecting my models from the anxiety due to racial profiling and discrimination that is directed to them in public spaces.  I celebrate who they are by elevating their fashion choices and creating an environment that is colorful and joyous.

© 2021 Saeco Art. All rights reserved.

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