Unicorns by sasheisty in New York

I am a surrealist acrylic painter with a focus on portraits of black women. I begin each piece through digital compositing with my own photographs as bases, using Procreate and Photoshop to develop thumbnails. These serve as the map for my acrylic paintings on reclaimed wood, creating textured pieces with rich colors. Another core element of my practice is lenticular art: art that moves as the viewer moves, or requires the audience to interact with the artwork to reveal multiple frames. I am known for two types of lenticular art: shutters and door-hinge paintings. Lenticular-Shutters require I hand-carve wooden blinds and paint images on each side, inviting viewers to physically flip the blinds to engage with the work and reveal a story behind the art. My door-hinge paintings are made by fusing canvas boards around a door hinge, to create a “hidden canvas” that is pushed into a floater frame. Audiences can “open” and “close” the piece to see the two paintings within. These tactile interactions mirror my focus on the concept of changing perspective. Through color, movement, and materiality, I craft immersive visual experiences that blur the line between observer and participant.