PRESS RELEASE
BLACKout
Artist Statement
I am a 5th-generation Black Oklahoman and 2nd-generation Somali-American mixedmedia
visual storyteller, muralist, and journalist. My work is an exploration of my dual
Black identity: through woodwork inspired by contemporary African woodcarvers and
textile designers, line-work inspired by Somali henna designs, and activism inspired by
the Black Arts Movement and Harlem Renaissance. My work deals with both the common
and distinct history and traditions between the dual Black identities I encompass
which serves as a bridge and act of reclamation.
The BLACKout series interrogates the intersection of language, media, the omission of
historical narratives in our educational system, and distorted characterizations of entire
communities of Black people. At this intersection, our perception of others and ourselves
are formed. This is the space where one's humanity is assigned value, and social
hierarchies are created and used to justify brutality against some while showing mercy
for others. This is the space that allowed my father, Said Osman, to be killed at the
hands of police officers like so many in this country.
I utilize various forms of media, language, and historical references to challenge ones
conscious and subconscious bias regarding Black culture in a way that creates a quiet
space to question the origin of their beliefs. With words in the English language such as
purity, primitive, blacklisted, blackballed, fair, and black sheep being synonymous with
“blackness” or the antithesis of it, our foundational basis for understanding one's humanity
has been distorted. The humanity of Black people has been called into question
since the founding of this nation; therefore, my work frames Black people in a holy light.
Donned in golden halos, crescent moons, and other religious symbols used to share
one’s capability of innocence. Fiery hues often used in the skin of my subjects reflect
one’s soul while my line work and interconnected shapes, like a puzzle, highlight the
flow, air, and consequence that connect us all. Rich black and vibrant hues share the
purity of color.
My art serves as a bridge between continental Africans and her diaspora by excavating
truths revealing connections that time, space, and adversity could never destroy.