I think when I was younger, I was much shyer, didn't feel like I could take up as much space.

As I've gotten older, I've been, you know, more confident in that and like, I don't mind being like, I'm going to be here.

Thatll be fine.

But I think my work is a way for me to have a presence within a space.

I really just try to make the thing that I wanted to make that I was scared to make.

I'm finding a slay.

I'm finding rhythm.

They're trying to take away all that I got.

But I can't let ‘em.

People rise up to help each other.

We have to.

We have to navigate this landscape just like everyone else.

I grew up in South Seattle.

Spent a lot of time at Douglass Truth Library.

So my dad worked there.

I cant remember how young I was, maybe ten.

I took a welding class with my dad at Pratt.

I saw the glassblowing studio down there.

The lights were off.

It was all, like, really just glowing and everything.

And then I saw Chuck Lopez gathering some glass out of the furnace.

There was just this rich, like, orange yellow glow that just kind of, like, illuminated everything.

And I was just like, what is that?

Right now, a lot of my work kind of deals with like, three main kind of components: tension, perception, and environment.

Tension is kind of one of the oldest styles or, like, ideas I've been working with for the longest time.

And with that, I'm looking at both like the physical tension of, let's say, you know, string or something like being pulled taut or cable from one point to another.

But then also, I guess that physical tension that you get potentially from interacting with that space.

The relationship between your body and the built environment.

And then also the social, societal like aspects or tension within spaces as well.

Mad Art was a space that artists were given an invitation to create site specific, installation based work that pushed the artists practice in some way.

Henry was really interested in the architecture of mad ART, using the mad ART space to guide viewers and kind of control their movement through the space by creating his artworks and integrating them into the physical architecture of the space.

I think what came from that was this really interesting perspective on kind of human nature, because there were people that came into the space and saw that there was an artwork that you could move through, and they immediately jumped into that artwork.

I think there is a way that like, Seattle does show up in my work.

I think it has to do with this idea of both these like positive-negative spaces, these organic and more rigid lines.

I think we're really fortunate here in the Northwest to have, you know, nature so close to us.

All the waterways, all the trees that kind of organic, natural forms have come into my work.

These more sculptural objects.

I like to have a more intimate one on one with the viewer, where they can get lost in the colors, the form.

These kind of like undulating kind of patterns.

With the combination of neon now in my work, that has this like really alluring, kind of light quality, it kind of goes back to that initial moment when I was like seeing someone gather out of the furnace that kind of luminosity that kind of comes forth.

How do you capture that and like, keep that coming back and really draw people in?

Cause I think a lot of times, we enter into gallery spaces and museums, you know, there's those rules like you can't touch the work, you got to stay, you know, three feet away, you know, be quiet, calm.

At the same time, though, I think for my work, I do want to have a little bit more of that direct interaction with the viewer.

To have that interaction is kind of part of the work.

I am playing around with people's depth perception.

That distortion of their field of vision.

You know, I'm asking people to take a moment to really think about what they're doing, where their body is within this place.

How do they actually conduct themselves there?

And I think for me, that has really come from just my lived experience as a black man in society.

And as I kind of maneuver through new spaces, I'm always hyper aware of my body.

My work is in response to that.

It's a chance to kind of make sure everyone has a chance to be hypersensitive, hyper-aware of their body in relation to artwork or each other.

So my dad passed away in December.

I think one of the biggest things he's kind of left me is, this sense of support, and investment in myself.

And my parents have always been really supportive of my art, my career choice at a really early age they really encouraged me to kind of pursue it.

That support has been both for my parents, my family, and the greater community has been instrumental in what I've been able to do with my art career and my practice.

And with my dad specifically, always really encouraging me to stick with things to push me.

That support was really just like always being really proud of, like what I was doing, what I was achieving.

You know, it was the space that he made for me to, like, work at the house on things.

That investment and like, you know, signing me up for classes again and again and again.

Just that long time... because, yeah, all these skills, you don't get them overnight.

You you have to stick with them.

It takes years.

And you can't do it by yourself.

I think I really tried to take that on with my work at the UW and teaching.

I think that's like a really good way to kind of like reinvest in the community with this next generation and really support them as they kind of create their own artistic voice and style.

I think it also in part, in some ways like that idea of like taking up space of like, do you feel comfortable enough to be in this space?

Even if you are being invited, it is still very different to not see someone that looks like you.

What I'm really excited about and feel very fortunate to be in this position at the University of Washington, and also the opportunities, you know, I've had to teach at Pratt, is to be at a more visible position.

A person that people can like, see, like, oh, this person is in like this higher position, I potentially can then feel more comfortable being in this space as well.