Size 16in x 20
Acrylics, oil stick, Marker, package tape on canvas.
 
This Painting was inspired by a YouTube video interview between @naomi  and @virgilabloh the creator of @off____white, where he was explaining his background and how his brand was created and his reasoning for using the term off white.

For me I kept thinking about the words "off white" and saw a metaphor for our people trying to pursue a Destiny that would not use the old narrative that was given to us by the idea of white supremacy that we are to be seen as slaves, subservient, less than or inadequate. That we needed to get off white mindedness and gain our own mind. That we needed to pursue knowledge that was universal instead knowledge tainted by white myths of our selves.

So what readily came to my mind when talking about getting off the shackles of white superiority was Malcom X and Muhammad Ali. 2 distinguished, Masculine, intelligent black men who defied the image of being a lowly slave. They were the antithesis of white supremacy just in them existing in America and this was my distinct cultural heritage as a Black Muslim man. I wanted to convey a message of a long line of resilience and resistance in one photo.

So the idea for this painting came to me as something that should be minimalist in view but powerful in meaning. I was not going to be so wordy but the words used had to convey a big message. I wasn't going to use alot of paint but the paint was going to have a message too. This is the first time I used tape as a medium on canvas because I wanted to push my creativity.