Joyce Owens

Retro-racing Picasso #5 (2013)
wood, acrylics, metal – 21 x 16.4 x 6 inches

Embracing my ancient ancestry, I have been making my own version of masks/assemblages that give a nod to the traditional culture of our motherland, Africa, while revealing the modern universality of African traditional forms that invigorated the art practice of my European ancestors including Pablo Picasso, among other well-known artists. I am impacted, as were the Europeans, by the African indigenous art and artifacts in museums and private collections after colonialism.

I mostly use wood and metals along with acrylic paints in my 3-D work. Improvisation influences my painting method, having the goal of producing a portrait or figure that I don’t fully “see” it until I finish. My practice continues to be an adventurous exploration, a search for me in many ways, and a conversation with the viewers. http://www.joyceowens.com/