michon sanders

My art practice is centered primarily on the reimagining of my family’s old photos as a way to tell my version of the Black existence. These images, often taken in everyday settings and without any artistic intention, hold an honesty and a vulnerability that resists performance. Rather than focusing on the spectacle or its aftermath, my work tends to linger in the spaces where nothing particularly monumental seems to be happening, yet a deeper narrative exists underneath the surface. Something as innocuous as a colorful old sofa, or the way a little girl’s hair knockers shine. By translating this imagery into paintings, I am slowing time and inviting viewers to participate in something that might otherwise be dismissed as unremarkable. My use of color, scale, and composition are the deliberate insertion of the artistic intention not provided by the source material.

In addition to reimagination, preservation also carries a significant weight in my practice. While reimagination opens the door for possibility and the ways that memories can be reshaped, preservation lends itself to the honor and respect of what was. To have the opportunity to memorialize my family members in these intimate and vulnerable moments allows me to ensure, in some small way, that their legacies will endure long past any of our lifetimes.