Artist Statement

I was born and raised in Harlem, New York City. I vividly remember looking at colors and textures. I spent a lot of time looking at hues of peeling paint. It was that old lead-based paint that peeled periodically, especially when the ceiling leaked. We always had these incredible designs on our walls.

I am a mixed media artist. Whenever possible I use materials in the state in which they were found. Whatever the media, the surface if my work is textured or shaped. My work reflects the fact that I’m a Black artist. My colors, patterns, and designs are multi-faceted and combine many parallel elements in a single piece of work analogous to the way African derived music combines parallel rhythmic and melodic elements. The content of my work reflects issues and ideas concerning people of color.
 
JoeSam.