Avin HannahSmith Artist Statement
My works are about how Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) create grids of societal understanding to sort through systems of oppression that have been forced upon them. The grids symbolize the language, histories, and lineage of people who aim to create a space for themselves within the capital impositions. Everyday routines, incidents, and ripples of societal and historical events are categorized deep within pockets of autonomous spiritual locations. Astrocartography—astrology and our spiritual and physical whereabouts—interests me, particularly in its relationship to locations and Afro-Identity. The alignment of my zodiac stars comes into focus, influencing my color theory, intuition, narrative, and self-reflection. The forward-facing vibrations of Black acceptance, resilience, and long-lasting healing are channeled through my use of repurposed fabrics, surfaces, intuitive compositions, and color theory. Meditative practices of color theory are what I want the viewer to see and feel first as they sit with the vibrational stories within my work. I believe art is essential for the betterment of life.
My materiality enables me to connect with my audience through various media, including video, sound, animation, Web3, painting, and sculpture. Repurposed materials carry ties to memories - directly from the material or familiarity of a place, feeling, or thought. Color relativity stems from my exact color alignments with green, yellow, and orange; brown aligns with the collective ancestral spirits of BIPOC. I use different shades and tints to explore the vibrational patterns of light and the physical color theory of those colors. The application is a process that creates a grid of understanding about the histories of the places I have been throughout my hometown.