Artist Statement


With all the facilities of my mind and spirit; and by my hand, together with my community, my goal is to celebrate African people and culture.

Aesthetics, a division of philosophy, examines the rules and principles of what is beautiful. For my purposes, I use aesthetic principles to examine the outward appearance of my work in direct relationship to human emotion. Within that investigation, beauty is not an essential element. What is beautiful in art is subjectively based on the viewers’ socialization and perspective on life.

The terms attractive and unattractive, in their most literal definitions, may be better terms for understanding the effect of art on the human psyche and spirit. Aesthetic success is achieved when a work is felt past its visual attributes. Does the work have a social usefulness, as well as a message?

The message of my work is a communication with the spirit, through human sight, and then insight. Does your heart beat faster, and your mind think deeper and broader?  Does the work make memories?  Has the work made a difference in your life? Do you make a difference in life?

In my work, I am seeking to attract people of indigenous African decent to a cultural mirror, in order to utilize the art as a source of nourishment, grounding and inspiration.

 
Akili Ron Anderson