Artist Statement by Chukes I invite you to relax, take your time and go easy. Free your mind and step into my world. This exhibit is my creative truth! We are living at a time when the world seems to be going fucking crazy! Ignorance, hate, and bigotry has corrupted the minds of the weak transforming them into untamed wild beasts. This is also an attempt to destroy humanity’s creativity and replace it with artificial intelligence. The ability to speak and create freely is now seen as a threat! Undeserving power is now being handed over to those who want to control the world but have lost their sense of self and have become blinded by the lies of selfish greed and not the ART of truth! There is something primal in me that keeps me connected to the purity of originality and spiritualism. I must have a space to create where there is peace and harmony on earth. For me, this place would be my artist’s studio. This is how I maintain my sanity. By viewing the work in this exhibit, you have now become a part of my sanctuary and you are experiencing all of my deepest emotions. These works are either something beautiful or the expression of humanity’s ugliness. I feel it is my duty to assess these trials and tribulations. I want to keep my art sacred and at the same time address profound issues, no matter how disturbing they might be. What I create in my studio, is my truth! This exhibit has a selection of works from my ongoing exhibit, Identity Theft. Nothing is sugar coated in these pieces. These works dig deep into the causes and effects of racial injustice, human ignorance, police brutality, and the misrepresentation of historical facts and its dire effects on the past and present world. Why has this happened? Most importantly, why does history not tell us of the true meaning and greatness of humanity? If they won’t, I will! The majority of the work in this exhibit is an expression of my profound love for music. My creative process begins as a musical rhythm. I’ve learned a great deal of history through music, and it has become my teacher. I view my art more as music rather than art. The clay and paint become my instruments, I am conducting a symphony filled with the images of life’s unfolding stories. The songs of the past that spoke of the social, political and spiritual truth must not be forgotten and my art shares that reflection. Look deep into this work and you will not only see it, you will experience it!