omar RICHARDSON Graduate | Photography
In finding myself in my art, I have used my art to reflect my experience. This experience is not defined by the generalized view of the culture of a country or a nation, but the personal everyday experience that happens as you are raised and that connect you to your spirit. I was born to humble beginnings and because I did not have money or status I hid my experiences. It is through my art that I am able to be honest with myself and others and this has given me my freedom. I learn from Bahamian artists, such as Maxwell Taylor, who define moments in his experiences growing up in the Bahamas. From myself, my art is molded by my experiences with individuals in my life. My art speaks of those who have loved, helped, hurt and confused me and of those who I have loved, helped, hurt and confused.
Photography is the medium that I use to capture the individual. My work is designed for the viewer to enter into the individual’s personal space, thoughts, feelings and exposes the hidden emotions that have formed within an individual based on their cultural experiences. The technical beauty of my work is contained in the marks made on the woodblock. However the positive and the negative experiences of the individual are narrated within the marks of my woodcuts. To complete my stories I use mono prints that are inherently similar, but opposite to my photography and woodblocks. My art has given me an understanding of the cultural experiences of others and of myself, and this knowledge has eventually allowed me to show my humanity.