Self-portrait 2020 (What am I?)

I painting this self-portrait in 2020, a year when the institutional focus on race felt more intense than ever. We saw new diversity rules proposed for the Oscars and a proposed law mandating racial quotas for California’s corporate boards. As an artist, this made me wonder: after decades of civil rights progress, why was there such a powerful compulsion to categorize people by their skin color? My initial artistic impulse was to paint a series of self-portraits exploring these different racial lenses. As a newer painter at the time, I created this single, ambiguous portrait instead. The four AI-assisted variations, created in 2025, finally visualize that original concept. I understand that in our charged climate, it’s natural to view this as a political statement. For me, it was a deeply personal meditation on a future I hope for – a post-racial world where we are seen simply as human. This work explores whether our current focus on external markers moves us closer to, or further from, that ideal. In retrospect, my life may have be much simpler if I had avoided this topic. I’ve struggled a bit with whether to share this work at all. But after years of studying polarization, I believe the artist’s role is to engage with uncomfortable questions, not run from them. This series comes from a place of deep empathy and a belief that true progress begins with honest, courageous exploration. It’s a dialogue rooted in love.