Challenging the common narrative, "Cruisin Reflecting on What It Took To Get Here" is a part of a series of works that portray contemporary Americans of African descent reaping the benefits of our memorable ancestor's fight for freedom and against societal stigmas. Our visibility in art is not limited to the common narrative of poverty, inner-city living, or other social stigmas. We exist and excel in all realms of education, wealth, business, and entertainment. Using thick mosaic-like shapes to form the figures I accentuate our variety of tones while maintaining a mundane narrative of wealth, success, happiness, and freedom.
"I enjoy incorporating my knowledge and experiences of both fine art and graphic design into the process of my personal work. My personal work commonly touches on ideas of humanity, specifically the differences we dwell on that make us all relatable. I use painting as a way to promote not only equality but also social justice. I am significantly inspired by the great Kerry James Marshall, but also study artists working in modern/contemporary realism and color abstraction." - Andrew Gray, 2021.
