Addie Kae Mingilton
I work primarily with acrylic paint; it can be moved and
maneuvered smoothly, it doesn’t blend easily, and it allows me to
work between thick and translucent strokes. Color is extremely
meaningful in my works, along with my figurative forms; it is how I
express interpreted emotions from photos into my paintings.
My works are primarily based on photos of my African American
side of the family. Being of mixed race, I struggle to find my place
of belonging between my two cultures. I am ashamed of my
light skin, and that I am considered “passing” as a white person.
Attempting to fit into either category of black or white I find myself
in a gray paint stroke overlapping the two, not completely blending
into one color or the other. My paintings explore the complicated
and controversial relationship our country has developed between
black people and white people. Through my imagery I aim to
educate others on the minority figure as beautiful, relatable,
powerful, and belonging in art just as much as the white figure.