The Portraits of Artist Addonis Parker

ARTIST STATEMENT

Art to me is a form of extreme communion with God. Respectfully and with pride, I am a student of creativity and expression.  My life is simply an open book to the inner world of our urban fabrics but the key to the underworld of self-truth, through the eyes of Addonis.  I am a master of expressing the depths of emotion and the plight of a people, shunned, feared and disdained. I am a captain of the community of man through a visual port of my surroundings. Being self-taught, I will violate the art code to convey any message necessary to meet such an objective to save lives or strengthen a community. I am a witness to the hardship as well as the high levels of success of the men and women who dared to chase this venture alone; even before me, if none should come after.  My work is the eternal flame of voices which society chooses to ignore. I use symbolic rendering and spiritual undertones to convey my message as I have received it. Color, composition, and structure are important instruments to strike emotional cords to one’s visual journey with the face of my spirit. With the presence of nature and elements of historical events; I feel that I must be a gatekeeper of my current time and experience.

I am an advocate for the freedom of expression. I find it necessary to include small forms of nature in my work. Nature holds the key to serenity and extreme craftsmanship from a higher source — God.  Another fact, being self-taught eliminates the fear of freestanding risk taking in my opinion. My work is in fact intense, prophetic, thought provoking, spiritual, emotional, and maybe controversial. I have accepted this crown of distinction and all the disciplines it may provide.  I choose not to classify my work nor will I receive a commercial stamp to categorize my ability and thought process. I am an American artist who just paints. I paint for the love of creation and the respect and honor of my past forerunners who had neither the opportunities nor the civil rights to become what I am today. It is my eternal pleasure to carry a brush and use it limitlessly. I will continue to be me in my work and in my community as well. Art to me is therapeutic and the essential foundation of every community around the world. The absence of the opportunity of art —–is the absence of civilization.

— Addonis Parker

The videos below were recorded via Zoom, are organized by Success Factor, and run between 30 seconds and 11 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.