ARTIST STATEMENT
My work explores the use of narrative to evoke emotional connections that reference all aspects of life. Through symbolism and allegory I refer to what lies beneath the surface. Through the use of varying imagery of my choosing, it allows me to explore imaginative realms that defy logic but are directly influenced by life’s experiences. I also investigate different themes that affect people from all walks of life, concerning life’s trials and tribulations, which include hostility, victimization, exclusion, oppression and withdrawal, all of which I believe ties into spiritual rebirth.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Crystal Marshall is a contemporary fine artist painter who lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, her paintings pay homage to her life’s experiences rooted in cultural disparities in the modern-day African diaspora. Her distinctive personal style emanates isolation, self reflection and expresses the spirit and atmosphere of the black consciousness in efforts to reconcile its relationship with true identity and image.
Symbolic motifs such as wool, thorns, hair, figurative and allegorical representations are just some of the visual tools used to express displacement, hostility, victimization, exclusion, oppression and withdrawal. As the artist explains, “I am a storyteller and I welcome the viewer to be a part of this visual journey, to share in my experience.”
She earned a Bachelor of General Fine arts degree from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland and also studied fine arts at Edna Manley College of Art in Kingston, Jamaica. She received a full scholarship for an exchange program at Pont Aven School of Contemporary art in France where she showcased her work in a group exhibit. Currently she’s pursuing her MFA in painting at SCAD University.
© Crystal Marshall