Artist Statement
As an Indo-Guyanese American, I am forever bound to the hyphen. As such, much of my life has been defined by my mixed cultural background. Growing up, I seldom saw individuals in the media that represented my unique background, which in turn caused questions of self and identity to constantly arise. As a small sub-group within the Caribbean, we were never enough for any culture we supposedly belonged to; whether that be Caribbean, Indian, or American. How was the media meant to represent us when we couldn’t even figure out our own identities? This identity crisis lasted a long time throughout my academic career. Not only could I not figure out my own culture, I was also struggling with identifying myself as a creative. It’s not a title I feel I’ve earned given that much of my academic career up until this point has remained very structured. I wasn’t an artist, or a singer. I couldn't write poetry or dance to a beat. I didn’t think I had the tools or platform to properly change...