I have been creating portraits of Prince since middle school in Louisville, Kentucky. When I was 13 years old I had to make copies of my pencil drawing of Prince that was popular among my peers. Prince's music, especially his b-side songs, made a positive impact on my life during critical moments of self-doubt, anxiety, and sadness.
Prince has always represented a defiance of traditional, rigid classifications, which is an important aspect of Afro-Surrealism that served as inspiration for the creation of my portrait. Prince's aesthetic, described as dandified, echoes the Afro-Surrealist use of excess, sensuality, and beauty as tools for subversion and disobedience. The idea of experiencing life through multiple, often opposing cultural filters, aligns with many themes in Prince's music.
