Desmond Beach

As an artist, I am continually drawn to the powerful words of James Baldwin, whose statements about the struggle of being a conscious Black individual in America resonate deeply with me. "To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time" (Baldwin). My work is an authentic expression of my lived experience, a quest to explore and illuminate the complexities of the Black experience through art. My work is rooted in the rich tradition of African storytelling, a thread that runs through each piece I create. My ancestors and those of the African Diaspora are honored in my work, and through performance and installation art, I build sacred spaces for their souls to rest. 

My ultimate goal as an artist is to transform the horrific into the beautiful, to take the pain and trauma of the Black experience and turn it into something that inspires and uplifts. Recent and historical events related to the African-American experience and anti-Blackness inspire my work, driving me to explore these themes in new and thought-provoking ways. 

I draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, including images of Black people during the Middle Passage and the Jim Crow South and their representation in today's mass media. My work often addresses the racial stereotypes that affect Black people. My deliberate remixing and reexamining of the Black struggle and their resilience is an invitation to dialogue about these issues. My work spans a variety of media, including performance, sculpture, mixed media, installation, fiber art, costume, painting, and photography. Each piece is a unique expression of my artistic vision, a forum for illuminating the existence of the nameless and amplifying the voices of the marginalized.