EFA STUDIO PROGRAM: Member Artists
Watson Mere
I think of my work as a window. For some, the window reflects the viewer’s own experiences or ideologies, for others, it presents a view into a world they may have never noticed or understood, allowing them to analyze and consider new ideas and perspectives. My goal in each piece is to create an image that the observer can't passively view but is drawn to engage with. The inspiration for my work is derived from the cultural complexities of those who identify with the African diaspora.
I have a passion to provide a voice through imagery to those that society has left mute for so long. The foundation of this passion comes from my own voicelessness. As a child, I could not speak until the age of five and was taught to create art at the age of two to communicate. My inability to speak at the toddler and pre-schooler age led me to become incredibly observant and honed my ability to translate these internal and external observations into art. In a sense, for my entire life art has been a constant vehicle I have utilized to express myself. At the age of thirteen, I discovered the program Microsoft Paint and this along with acrylics, oils, pastels, and other mediums has been my voice to reflect on the times ever since.
My intent for each symbolically layered piece is to create a meeting ground where modern themes of black culture and ancient African symbolism can communicate a griot-like story to the viewer. The magnifying vibrant colors draw the observer in as the subject matter displayed before them, silently tells a story that sparks their imagination, as to what the piece says to them.
