Artist Statement

My studio practice investigates cycles of resilience, transformation, and liberation through an interdisciplinary approach that bridges cooking, sculpture, sound, mixed media, video, and social practice. At its core is an exploration of how art can reckon with historical legacies and systemic challenges while catalyzing individual and collective change. By blending conceptual rigor with material experimentation, I create work that interrogates power structures, foster dialogue, and imagine futures of shared empowerment and renewal.

Central to my practice is the question of how objects, symbols, and spaces can transcend their utilitarian or aesthetic roles to engage communities and raise consciousness. This inquiry often brings me to themes such as food sovereignty, cultural memory, and solidarity across movements for justice. Whether transforming everyday materials into sculptural forms or integrating sound, performance, and social interaction into my work, I seek to create experiences that challenge passive consumption and invite active engagement.

One notable piece in my body of work, "Razed Bed #2," deliberately deviates from traditional minimalism, embracing both simplicity and profound subjectivity. Utilizing a restrained material palette, geometric abstraction, and monochromatic tones, it weaves a poignant narrative that is is etched into the blackened wood and charred edges, embodying the Atlantic slave trade, colonization, and other historical intersections of racism and capitalism. Simultaneously, it engages with contemporary issues such as racial plagiarism, food apartheid, gentrification, climate chaos, and the geopolitical turmoil of 2023 and '24.

Enclosed within the sculpture's base is a plastic bucket containing soil from three Black farmers in Northern California, compost from my home garden, and heirloom collard seeds. This placement serves as a reminder of how the cultural contributions of Black folks are often co-opted and commodified by non-Black people, making them inaccessible to the communities from which they originated. It also underscores the vitality and sanctity of these materials; they are not mere substances but living, sacred elements that provide sustenance and wisdom.

This installation extends into an immersive experience with accompanying mixed media drawings and a video component (which features an original composition by Saint State Street), offering a window into the creative genesis of "Razed Bed #2" and elucidating the intricate interplay between the finished object and the painstaking process of making it.

A recurring theme in my work is the interplay between the sacred and the commodified. I am particularly drawn to the ways in which cultural contributions—especially those rooted in Black and African Diasporic traditions—are often appropriated or erased by dominant systems. My practice examines the tension between resilience and exploitation, asking how art can recover and re-center ancestral knowledge while envisioning strategies for future self-determination.

Another focus of my work is the role of knowledge sharing, storytelling, and dialogue in transforming societal narratives. Through activations in public spaces and collaborations with communities, I explore how art can create moments of connection and amplify histories that are often overlooked or misunderstood.

Sound and sonification are increasingly vital to my exploration of memory, materiality, and transformation. By incorporating audio elements into my installations, I aim to deepen the sensory and emotional resonance of my work, inviting audiences to consider how sound can evoke histories and map future possibilities.

Ultimately, my practice is rooted in the belief that art is a dynamic tool for both reflection and action—a means of asking urgent questions about the world as it is while imagining what it might become.

(click on the images below to explore Bryant's diverse work.)