IDA OWENS
Artist Statement and Artwork
ARTIST STATEMENT:
The focus of my work explores the ways in which the celebration of life in its various aspects is expressed. A major concentration of my artwork centers on customary practices and how people of the African Diaspora incorporate these customs and celebrations into everyday life. I am drawn to the diverse style and function of African masks as well as how these masks connect to other global mask making cultures. My work expresses ancient traditional, social, and cultural influences in modern day times. I am most intrigued by the many initiation or rites of passage ceremonies conducted and how the spirit of the ancestors is invoked through ritual, dance, and parade. The significance of cultural heritage for me is very powerful. The distinction of prominent ethnic traditions and art forms within a unique contemporary social context continues to exist globally. Within my work I provide a link to the past while acknowledging current and future possibilities. To create my mixed-media compositions, I incorporate a variety of materials into a unique fusion of cultural aesthetics.
The focus of my work explores the ways in which the celebration of life in its various aspects is expressed. A major concentration of my artwork centers on customary practices and how people of the African Diaspora incorporate these customs and celebrations into everyday life. I am drawn to the diverse style and function of African masks as well as how these masks connect to other global mask making cultures. My work expresses ancient traditional, social, and cultural influences in modern day times. I am most intrigued by the many initiation or rites of passage ceremonies conducted and how the spirit of the ancestors is invoked through ritual, dance, and parade. The significance of cultural heritage for me is very powerful. The distinction of prominent ethnic traditions and art forms within a unique contemporary social context continues to exist globally. Within my work I provide a link to the past while acknowledging current and future possibilities. To create my mixed-media compositions, I incorporate a variety of materials into a unique fusion of cultural aesthetics.