Artist Statement
The relationship to self is complex and ever growing. My mind is a combination of my close friend, biggest critic, a young person to protect, a monster to cage, and a roommate to house.
In my work I use a combination of line, stippling, loose marks and insects. Overlapping them until a composition is formed. As someone on the autism spectrum, everything feels amplified until I get a chance to process. In my paintings, I translate mental and physical feelings into visual shapes, patterns and objects. Choosing marks that make my brush move the way the feeling feels.
​
Repetitive lines = processing or accepting.
Stippling = fixing or organizing.
Loose marks = thoughtless or frantic action.
Bugs = the death or life of the process.
​
There is no thought process or feeling that’s unique to only me. I want people from all walks of life to see themselves in my work. My hope is to form connection with people whom I wouldn’t otherwise.
BIO
​Nzingha Shakur paints abstract visual depictions of brain function and patterns. She makes a rule for each mark type and applies them based on how they work for different thoughts or actions. She attends Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) at their Atlanta campus. She debuted as an international artist in Seoul, South Korea in the “Types of Conversation” show at Gallery INSA 1010. Shakur is currently living in Atlanta, GA fall through spring and in New Orleans during the summer months.
