Temi Edun
Region: South
City / State: Columbia, MD
My work examines decolonization as a cultural and historical confrontation
with a hegemonic system of thought. Working primarily in portraiture, I
critically interrogate old narratives, suggesting an introspective appraisal of
the politicization of Blackness. My work features an intensity of expression
as a way of forcing a necessary interrogation of perceptions associated with
the ideology of imagery, particularly the Black countenance.
I layer and mix my pigments directly on the surface using oil stick on canvas. My portraits occupy a space between realism and abstraction and are derived from my imagination. I intend for my portraits to trigger a multifaceted response from the viewer; hence the faces often make direct eye contact and the skin eschews natural colors. Other elements of interest are the textural quality and intensity of the gaze.
I layer and mix my pigments directly on the surface using oil stick on canvas. My portraits occupy a space between realism and abstraction and are derived from my imagination. I intend for my portraits to trigger a multifaceted response from the viewer; hence the faces often make direct eye contact and the skin eschews natural colors. Other elements of interest are the textural quality and intensity of the gaze.
