I met Natori Green at the New Orleans Natural Hair Expo during the Essence Festival weekend. Natori's paintings were truly beautiful and really made me take in the beauty of not only natural hair, but brown skin. Let's have meet Natori and find out more about her and her talent.
Can you tell us about yourself and where you are from?
I am Natori Green and I am from New Orleans, Louisiana. I would describe myself as a serene person who creates contemporary art that depicts my life experiences and experiences that are relate to people of color today.
What is your artistic outlook on life?
My artistic outlook on life is to be serene surround myself with positivity because positive vibes bring positive results.
Urbane Warrior |
Describe a real-life situation that inspired you to create?
One real life situation that inspired me was getting my first gallery internship at The Front Gallery in New Orleans. That experience to assist artists as they prepared for their upcoming shows and learning the ins and out of contemporary galleries. The experience from assisting other artists is what inspired to truly commit myself to displaying and creating my artwork.
How long have you been creating art?
I have been creating art since I was in elementary. I participated in local art programs and local art programs are what opened me to experience more of the art world. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, and also The Oxbow School in Napa Valley, California; which were both amazing opportunities.
How did you come up with the idea for your Urbane Freedom?
I came up with the concept of my series “For Urbane Eyes” while further exploring what it meant to me to be a women of color with natural hair. I felt newly awakened since my big chop in 2013. The daily experiences that I go through is what predominately influenced my artwork.
Urbane Freedom |
What do you see as the strengths of your pieces?
The strengths in my pieces are each figure’s skin tone which I take great pride in creating because scarily is dark skin tones perceived as beauty in American media.
What has been the best advice you can give aspiring artists?
My best advice for aspiring artists is to create what speaks to them and not what they think will impress others. To go and live each day for themselves and their dreams.
Do you think that being an artist from New Orleans, Louisiana has added to your creativity?
There is more to New Orleans then Katrina and a lot of artists from New Orleans are exhibiting that. I think being an artist from New Orleans allows me to have a broad spectrum of creativity, because my city is a melting pot of different cultures. My city also has a lot of vibrancy, and socioeconomic diversity.
Urbane Meditative Fro |
What do you want for people to take from your pieces?
I want to take away from my artwork a feeling of self-pride and consciousness in my artwork through the depiction of the figure’s textured hair and the beautiful brown shade of the figure’s skin tone. That they do not have to conform to any standards of beauty but their own because what they feel about themselves matter.
Girl, your work is truly beautiful and your spirit is too. Do you have any more information that you would like to share with us?
Yes, I sure do, Linda. My gallery director just announced that I will be part of a To Be Announced group show on August 13th at Second Story Gallery. I also have upcoming exhibits. On September 10, 2016 at Antenna Gallery in New Orleans I will be participating a group show entitled "Refracted Mirror".
My piece is an 36x48 mixed media painting titled "Peace Filled Woman". In addition to all of that, I have a solo exhibition in October at Second Story Gallery in New Orleans; which is a gallery that I am a member of. I will also have other to be announced exhibition later this year. Thank you so much for your time!
My piece is an 36x48 mixed media painting titled "Peace Filled Woman". In addition to all of that, I have a solo exhibition in October at Second Story Gallery in New Orleans; which is a gallery that I am a member of. I will also have other to be announced exhibition later this year. Thank you so much for your time!
You are truly welcome.
If you would like to keep up with Natori you can find her at the links provided below:
> natorig.tumblr.com
> www.facebook.com/iamnatorig
> www.instagram.com/natorig
> https://plus.google.com/+ NatoriG
> www.youtube.com/natorig
> www.phhhoto.com/natorig
If you would love to be featured on my site simply email me with your information and motivational story that will help others discover their inner strength.
> www.facebook.com/iamnatorig
> www.instagram.com/natorig
> https://plus.google.com/+
> www.youtube.com/natorig
> www.phhhoto.com/natorig
If you would love to be featured on my site simply email me with your information and motivational story that will help others discover their inner strength.
Thank you Linda Hurd for featuring me in this awesome interview!
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