Ashanté Kindle began her introduction into art through her love of

photography as a child in Clarksville, TN. During her time at Austin Peay

State University, where she received her BFA, she expanded her practice

in search of new ways to materialize her artistic visions. As a

Multi-disciplinary artist, her practice functions as a form of personal healing

as she creates with a desire to celebrate the history and beauty of

Blackness. She finds inspiration in the textures of Black hair and creates

abstracted waveforms through durational mark making with a focus on

process and labor. She currently resides in Mansfield, Connecticut as a

current MFA candidate at The University of Connecticut.

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Statement:

My practice exists as a form of personal healing as I create with a desire to

celebrate the history and beauty of Blackness. I find inspiration in the s-curl

waves that form in Black hair through wetting and different styling

techniques like finger waves and daily brushing. Through the use of

durational mark making in drawing, painting and sculpting, the marks

transform into abstracted wave forms that resemble the natural textures

that occur in Black hair. I approach repetition as a form of labor in relation

to the body, emotions, and occupying spaces. The process of creating

becomes as important as the final piece as these durational marks begin to

represent the echo of a soft whisper or a frenzied scream of emotion.

Transformation tends to hide what was once there but can not deny its

existence.