“Ubunutu” (oo-buun-tu) is a shortened version of a Zulu proverb, “Umuntu ngumuntu ngamantu,” which means: “I am a person through other people. My humanity is tied to yours.”

 

The spirit of UBUNTU drives ycART's works. Translated to mean "I am because you are," this Zulu idea suggests that the invisible threads of interdependence connect individuals because of our shared humanity. The essence of Ubuntu reverberates within ycART's faith as a Christian with regards to loving one's neighbor as if they were himself. Therefore, the works of ycART tend to explore these values through shared narrative themes (e.g., aspirations, longings, lost, happiness, etc.) and societal issues (e.g., institutional racism, politics, poverty, religion, etc.) which they have translated into collage paintings.

 

The cut-out techniques of Matisse, Romare Bearden, and Eric Carle, the social realism of Jacob Lawrence, and the child-like, yet complex works of Jean Michel Basquiat have been tremendous sources of inspiration for ycART's mixed-media collages. Mixed media provides ycART with the ability to experiment, feel, and interact with different materials to form a unified piece.

 

As an artist, ycART seeks to paste together an opportunity that invites the viewer to partake in a reflective pause, be challenged, and gain a new perspective of their own experiences and relationships. Ultimately, it is the intention for the art of ycART to serve as a mirror that allows the viewer to identify and recognize the role of UBUNTU in their lives. . .