What was originally just a hobby of rug tufting became a need to create art with cultural meaning. As a child of the African diaspora, I’ve been surrounded by images and experiences of Black culture; a culture that is often adopted but never credited. The experiences through my childhood and so on have given me a deep appreciation of what has happened, what is happening, and what is about to come. Even if the experiences are tainted with bad memories, it’s important for me to portray life accurately so previous generations as well as generations to come can see themselves represented properly. My art is an ode to Black culture: the good, the bad, and the spiritual.

The name “nostalgia90seven” comes from aspects of my life. “nostalgia” comes from to being a nostalgic person, often reminiscing on fond memories that have shaped my being. “90seven” has double meaning as I was born in ‘97 as well as me being the 7th grandchild to my paternal grandmother. There’s also significance in the symbol used on the logo’s forehead: the Sankofa.

The Sankofa was introduced to me through an album called “The Velvet Rope”, released in 1997 by Janet Jackson. It symbolizes “going back from whence you came”, which is synonymous to the idea of “nostalgia” where you’re looking back into your past with fondness. This ties my visions together in creating something you can remember, whether you’ve experienced it yourself or if can understand it on an universal level.