Red Series Painting no. 3

Writing was how I expressed myself before I started making art. Growing up, I was very shy, and the best way for me to share my feelings and emotions was on the page. If I had something to tell you that wasn’t surface‑level, I would write you a letter.

I remember how big letter‑writing was in school back in the nineties, growing up in Haiti. We would pass notes under the table without the teacher knowing, then send each other home with letters at the end of the day. It was endless, and right up my alley. It felt safe, and it allowed me to express myself fully.

Because of that, writing will always hold a special place in my heart. Even now, if I have something important or emotional to say, I’d rather write it than speak it out loud—my husband can attest to that.

Over the past year, I’ve noticed a shift in the way I paint. I’ve developed a deep interest in mark‑making; my marks tend to have a calligraphic feel, and I’ve been incorporating more words into my pieces. Sometimes they aren’t immediately visible; you have to look closely to find them.

That presence of writing is more obvious in this new piece from the red series. It wasn’t intentional at first, but midway through the process, the marks began to take over the canvas, and I just let them. I don’t want to give too much away, because I love when people form their own interpretations of the work.

Let me know if it evokes anything in you. I would truly love to hear your thoughts.

Untitled for now, 36 × 36 in Mixed-Media on Canvas

In the days leading up to starting this piece these are some of the things, I was reading, watching, listening to and sitting with.