Charcoal, oils, and ink on 13x19 inch cotton rag paper
13x19 inches
The pickaninny caricature-- wide-eyed, unkempt, and dehumanized, was crafted to desensitize the world to Black childhood suffering. These grotesque illustrations functioned not just as racist entertainment, but as tools of violence — stripping innocence, justifying neglect, and denying Black children the softness and protection afforded to others. 
My work reclaims that stolen tenderness. Each braid, shadow, and adornment I paint is deliberate. My goal is to add to restoring what was denied and honoring the dignity buried beneath ridicule. I render Black skin in deep shades, not as caricature, but as legacy — textured, luminous, and rooted in truth. What they called “pickaninny,” I now call heir, oracle, and witness.