Overprint Design of my city, Toledo. Also known as the Glass City or "The Mud" REMEMBER YOUR STORY! + Enlarge
Glass City 2021 Graphic Design + Mix Media 12 x 18
Portrait of my Grandfather, over print sketch over the map of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. My fathers home city map. + Enlarge
James Denton 2021 Graphic Design + Mix Media 12 x 18
Portrait + Map overprint of my grandmothers home and the neighborhood my family grew up in. + Enlarge
Lossie Mae Young 2021 Graphic Design + Mix Media 12 x 18
As the wait for my Ancestry DNA results, the stories I was told is that my grandfather was "Geechie/Gulla" which is a direct trace to Sierra Leone in West Africa. + Enlarge
West African Ancestry? 2021 Graphic Design + Mix Media 12 x 18
Statement

ROOTED IDENTITY

Symbolism, identity and language are some of the most important things in one's ancestry. It is how we distinguish ourselves from one another with strong sense of pride, comfort and confidence. Everything we write, wear and say belongs to us.

What would you do if everything that you know is completely taken from you? Imagine having a map that does not identify your location, where to go and what is next? Through an exploration of maps and genealogy, this project explores belonging. It inspires viewers to create their own culture narratives. This journey investigates identity through Mixed Media.