'Paint it Black'
reimagines iconic Western paintings through digital self-portraiture to explore race, identity, and art history. By placing myself in these recreated works, I challenge the exclusion of people of colour from the traditional art canon.
Each piece includes its own title and context, blending humor and stereotype to prompt reflection and reclaim space. The series creates a dialogue between past and present, subverting classical art with contemporary critique.
Self Portrait at the age of Twenti-Wan
My reinterpretation of Albrecht Dürer’s Self-Portrait at 28 blends personal and cultural identity with art historical critique. Dürer’s original, known for its Christ-like symbolism and assertion of artistic divinity, is reimagined to reclaim space in a tradition that has long excluded people of colour. Replacing the Latin inscription with Jamaican Patois honors my heritage and linguistic identity, while a playful “gun” hand gesture replaces Dürer’s blessing, subverting the solemnity of the original.
Original: Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight – Albrecht Dürer – 1500 (66.3 cm × 49 cm)
Bredrins Last Supper
This reinterpretation of The Last Supper draws on the cultural weight of da Vinci’s original while replacing all figures with myself, using humor and stereotype to challenge its traditional narrative. By maintaining the iconic composition, the work playfully critiques the lack of representation of people of colour in historic art, using photography to bridge past and present.
Original: The Last Supper – Leonardo da Vinci – 1495–1498 (460 cm × 880 cm)
Mundi: Revisited
In this reimagining of Salvator Mundi, I replace the traditional orb with a phone, reflecting how spirituality and technology now coexist. Originally portraying a white, masculine ideal, the image is reworked through the lens of a Black female photographer to challenge Western norms of divinity, power, and representation. This piece confronts colonial legacies and explores identity at the intersection of race, gender, and authority.
Original: Salvator Mundi – Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci – c. 1499–1510 (65.6 cm × 45.4 cm)
The Mona Lisa: Reimagined
The Mona Lisa, as the most iconic portrait in Western art, is both a symbol of artistic mastery and a cultural myth. In my reinterpretation, I take on the role of the Mona Lisa, using humor and stereotype to subvert her historical significance and challenge her status as an untouchable masterpiece.This piece invites viewers to reconsider the Mona Lisa through a modern lens, sparking dialogue about race, representation, and identity in art.
Original: The Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci – c. 1503–1506 (77 cm × 53 cm)
Self Portrait Behind the Camera
In my recreation of Van Gogh's Self-Portrait in Front of the Easel, I replace the painter's tools with those of photography. This shift reflects my identity as a photographer and the evolution of artistic practice from painting to photography. While Van Gogh’s original conveys an intimate connection to painting, my version uses the camera as my paintbrush, sparking a conversation about the changing role of the artist in modern times while maintaining a personal connection to the creative process.
Original: Self-Portrait in Front of the Easel – Vincent van Gogh – 1888 (65.1 cm × 50.1 cm)
The Screeeam (with 3 e’s)
This reworking of Edvard Munch's The Scream reimagines the classic through a contemporary lens, shifting from existential torment to a playful commentary on identity and the emotional weight of stereotypes. While acknowledging the cultural isolation of the original, it subverts its serious tone with humor. It reclaims space in art history, reframing The Scream as both an individual and collective cry for inclusion and recognition.
Original: The Scream – Edvard Munch – 1893 (91 cm × 73.5 cm)
Black British queer
This reimagining of Grant Wood's American Gothic explores Black and British identity, subverting the original's portrayal of rural American values. While the original embodies white, middle-American tradition, my version blends British stereotypes, Jamaican iconography, and contemporary identity.
Original: American Gothic – Grant Wood – 1930 (78 cm × 65.3 cm)
Girl With The Hoop Earring
This reimagining of Girl with a Pearl Earring examines the absence of Black presence in historical art, using cultural signifiers like a large hooped earring associated with Black women. Through subtle humor and reappropriation of stereotypes, the piece encourages new narratives and reflections on identity.
Original: Girl with a Pearl Earring – Johannes Vermeer – c. 1665 (44.5 cm × 39 cm)
The Daughter of Stereotype
This reinterpretation of René Magritte’s The Son of Man replaces the iconic apple with fried chicken, a deliberate reference to racial stereotypes about Black culture. This shift juxtaposes Magritte’s exploration of hidden identity with a modern critique of how identity is often reduced to simplistic caricatures.
Original: The Son of Man – René Magritte – 1964 (116 cm × 89 cm)