Somethin' About Freedom : Orlonda Uffre : Ask My Horse

Orlonda Uffre Artist Statement 2023

“I find inspiration everywhere – from nature, to dreams, to the cultural environment of the African diaspora, and the politics of our history… perhaps this is why my creative output is eclectic” – Orlonda Uffre

My origins incorporate Brooklyn, New York and the African Caribbean Diaspora associated with it. Although very much an American, my mother’s Caribbean ways have forever permeated my sense of self, my thoughts, and my art.

When I begin a painting, I first think about what I want to express for myself and then what it might mean to the outside world. Although it seems as if contemporary and modernist conventions are rules that have shaped the language of art, I don’t want to have to shock, titillate or confuse people to be considered relevant or interesting in this ongoing art dialogue. I believe it’s important to recognize and validate one’s own voice. The internal dialogue about what I’m expressing is sometimes punctuated by thoughts and questions specific to art in a multicultural world, or multicultural art in a conceptual context.