Blacksneakers
Blacksneakers is a painter and illustrator based in North Carolina. She combines emotion with vibrant color schemes to create complex, Black narratives. We areo grateful for her time this past week.
What influences your use of color in your work?
Personally, I view the world around me in high contrast and in saturation. My use of color is inspired by the goodness it can bring, the comforting and light feeling that I and some others have experienced from it. The use of an intense color scheme helps invoke the concepts of emotional and mental from the perspectives of Black narratives.
Who are some of your creative inspirations?
Naudline Cluvie Pierre, Dirty Robot, Shawna X, Hana Chatani, and Little Thunder are a few artists I admire! They all work in various mediums and genres but invoke such great work.
When did you start working in the digital space?
I started working with digital art about 2-3 years ago. However, I stopped for a bit while attending SCAD as a freshman, focusing more on traditional art.
It wasn’t until my second semester as a freshman at the HBCU I relocated to, NC A&T State University, and the start of the pandemic that I decided to venture back into it. At that time, my style started to cultivate into what it is now! And during around last August and September, I was able to work with NFT’s and platforms that showcased work in that manner.
My first introduction was with SuperRare, who had reached out to me at the time. Since then, I have embedded myself deeper into the digital space while making great friends, partners, and art!
The community is very welcoming, and it’s definitely comforting to see so many people from various backgrounds create the way they do
Blacksneakers
How did you find that transition from physical to digital art? Do you have a preference?
The transition was kind of seamless, especially since I’ve dabbled back and forth with both art forms. However, I would say I currently prefer digital art. I personally feel as though I have more control of what I create and how it’s done, nonetheless, with traditional, it’s a challenge I accept regardless.
What inspired you to start making digital art?
What inspired me to try digital art was a couple of artists I admired a few years ago on Instagram. Before that I had practiced a few fundamentals and even tried pen art with crosshatching, yet when I started to work with digital art it was as if a whole new world of creating opened for me. And when I decided to jump back into it, my style completely changed based on my own growth and who I was influenced by.
As a woman in space, how are you finding it? There seem to be lots of community, particularly around BIPOC. Have you experienced that?
The community is very welcoming, and it’s definitely comforting to see so many people from various backgrounds create the way they do. There are so many amazing digital artists in the space, and although my part might be small, I’m glad to have the ability to contribute to the community. I think as, not just a woman but a black woman as well, it’s important to share what I do and to be with others who aim to do the same.
What’s your next move?
That’s a very interesting question, sometimes I go with the flow on matters of my next moves or if I see an opportunity reveal itself I try my best to showcase my work!
Connect with Blacksneakers on Twitter, IG, SuperRare, Foundation and her personal site.
