fallen angel collection 🪽

Growing up, I didn’t see many Black American visual artists in the media. As a little girl, I watched "Good Times" and "A Different World" constantly on repeat. J.J. and Whitley were my only examples of what a future in visual arts could look like. After many frustrating tears (because of my skill), my parents enrolled me in art school at age seven. Later that night, while my parents and I were watching "Chappelle’s Show", I heard a song that changed my life: “All Falls Down” by Kanye West. It quickly became my favorite song to sketch to.

Fast-forward to 2009, when I watched his “Heartless” video, the most creative rap video my little 12-year-old self had ever seen. After doing some research, I learned that he had attended visual art school starting at age four! He quickly became one of my artistic inspirations. Now I’m 29, and I can say I feel the complete opposite. Art is the free expression of self. It is sacred and, most importantly, a means of the artist’s own self-development. But what happens when that expression is rooted in the dehumanization of other people? Once dehumanization happens, it is no longer art. I’m not actually sure what that is… bigotry? selling out? ...maybe propaganda? I'm not sure.

All I know is that this piece is for the 12-year-old in me who felt so much inspiration looking at the artistry of the Kanye and Giuseppe's Pearl Heel collaboration that went viral a couple of weeks ago on Twitter. But that inspiration was immediately replaced with shame of that inspiration because he has fallen so far in my eyes.

It weighed so heavily on my mind that I dreamed this piece later that night. The song All Falls Down now more than ever is definitely fitting, but this is just my opinion.

Some of Kanye West's Art

This includes:

• 2 shoe variations in shoe category (8 swatches)

• 1 toenail variation in toenail category(32 swatches)

• Disallowed for Random

• Custom Thumbnail

• Feminine & Masculine

•  Adult

Terms of Use & Additional Info:

YOU MAY NOT SHARE MY CONTENT

You may not recolor or use any part of these items to make your own cc.

• Disallowed for Random

• Custom Thumbnail

• Feminine & Masculine

• ya- Elder

• Texture rendered through Blender

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