inside the studio
The Parliament Diptych and My Return to Invincibility
Between 2023 and 2024 my diptych Parliament was featured in three exhibitions: as a complete set in The Hope of Radiance, my solo exhibition at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburg, and as selected panels, Parliament 2 featured Mashonda Tiferri’s exhibition A Time was Had: Is an Awakening at the Maison Lune in Venice, CA during Art Week LA, and Parliament 1 in Dominique Clayton’s exhibition Culture Diaries at Rele Los Angeles.
I used the occasion of these exhibitions to discuss how the Parliament diptypch was imagined; these works are today’s reflection on my archive of drawings and art practice from over 20 years ago. Parliament draws from a collection of mighty linear, figural forms that I created between ages 19 – 21. I always consider these years to be my invincible period as an artist. My imagination was wild, and I felt boundless as a creator. It is a rich archive of ideas and images. I’ve shared some with you in this post.
