Williams, Charlene (Reggae Nights Wallflower)

"Reggae Nights Wallflower" by Charlene Williams   18 x 24 inches, acrylic paint and marker on canvas -- unframed     "I always had a love for all art since I was a child, but growing up in poverty in the Bronx, I never had the resources to explore art or take a class until I was in my 30s.   While I was in the military, I took a week solo trip to Tokyo after deployment.  It was there I realized I love photography and decided to study at the Art Institute in VA Beach.  While attending school, I also had the privilege to take drawing and sketching and graduated with Honors in 2015. A few years ago I left an abusive relationship and moved to Queens, NY.  I started drawing as a way of self healing and reflection on how I see myself and other women around me.  Statistic say us black women are the least desirable on online dating.  The darker the skin or kinkier the hair the less attractive we are. My artwork expresses our beauty and vibrance of our skin and hair texture.  I use acrylic paints and markers, different mediums for texture like glitter, carved wood, and beading.  I want other black women, like myself, to see their own beauty without feeling the need to have validation from the world media or negative individuals who are around us."