by MARTHA A. WADE
Original 16″×20″ Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
not for sale.

FROM THE ARTIST:
“I painted this while taking Art History class at UofM. During class, we discussed the significance of race in art. The discussion made me think about myself, and how my mixed-race background has shaped my art. I didn’t want to be categorized as “black art” or “main stream art” or feel limited to paint certain kinds of people.

“I didn’t want to choose being one or the other. I went home that afternoon and began painting feverishly, and didn’t stop until I had created this painting. At the time, I didn’t know what to call it or how to explain it … I suppose years of reflection have given me the knowledge to see myself more clearly through my work.

This painting is a representation of those inner struggles that occur within me when I think about being black or white. I painted the person in the middle in Grey, to symbolize the combination of both, and the colorful forces in the world and within us that try and influence our minds. I believe people are many things, all artists who merely needs to be encouraged to come out and CREATE!"