ARTIST STATEMENT
Human connectivity is one of the constant drivers in my practice. As a mixed media artist I combine traditional painting with fabric, digital collage, sculpture and sound elements. Portraiture remains at the core of my work, but my process shifts along with my approach. I’ve moved from capturing a person’s likeness, to utilizing braided hair, hair covering, food memories, or a person’s voice to create portraits illustrating the intricate relationship one has with the self and their community. In this ongoing series, I depict how the personal practice of covering one’s hair crosses vast cultural, religious, and social terrain.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Charisse Harris is a mixed-media artist and educator. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Kent State University in 2016. Since then, she has participated in a number of exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and curatorial pursuits. Charisse teaches studio art courses part time at Columbus State Community College as well as Capital University. In 2021 she become the Exhibitions & Programs Manager for East Avenue Gallery in Akron, OH. East Avenue Gallery is a new community space geared at supporting local artists. The range of issues she explores in her art – identity, black culture, faith, food and female representation are as broad as the media she employs. Her work is multifaceted and complex in its analysis of the individual’s relationship to one’s external environment. Often personal in inflection, her works explore the connection between psychological states of mind and socio-political behavior.
© Charisse Harris