MacKenzie Butler

Lives and works in Bowie, MD

Artist statement

I paint portraits and figurative works that research inconspicuous and often overlooked facets of what I believe are the core of what makes us human. Behaviors such as collection and the creation and tradition of mementos and keepsakes intrigue me. The concept of Honoring and preserving memory; we are no different than the elephant who returns to stroke her grandmother's bones. Subject matter spanning sex, the physical body, food, spirit, childhood, African American (Soulaan) culture, and trauma response can all be found in my work. I embrace a high-chroma palette as a means to exaggerate subtle tonal differences that I notice already present in various tissues and surfaces (like the mottling of flushed skin, depth, and tones of shadows, and layering effects seen perhaps in fruits and vegetation). I invite viewers to consider and be privy to moments otherwise imperceptible or protected by presenting my subjects in an honest and undeniable visual representation.

Artwork