My Process

Growing up and creating as a black artist, I’ve always been asked to pull from traumatic experiences like racism and police brutality. The trauma that people wanted me to create was impossible - they didn’t understand that I was experiencing the trauma on a visceral level every day. I couldn’t let it infiltrate the art that I loved.

Today, I’ve found my voice and I want to communicate through my art that being a black woman is joyful; powerful; meaningful, even if sometimes it’s terrifying. The things that young Amber experienced were difficult to process, but they have allowed me to work towards healing and processing as an adult - something that I reflect in all of my art.

Creating with gratitude provides a view into what I feel as I’m creating the piece. When I use color vibrancy to bring life to my art, I want others to feel the joy I experienced when creating the objects through appreciative and experienced eyes.