Toni Morrison, author and educator, created more than 13 novels that centralize the Black American experience while reflecting upon Black Americans' unique historical and contemporary struggles. Through reading her novels, specifically the fiction series, I became aware of the magical realism that occurred in the everyday life of her characters and its relationship to understanding the realm in which I lived. She dwelled in black visions and had an uncompromising affection at which she looked at Black life. Through social media, the reposting of memes and ordinary conversation, I finally understood the sentiment of ‘’we’re all living the same life”. Black mothers use the same sayings, they clean their bathtubs the same way, they curl their hair the same way, and they even take selfies the same, sometimes awkward way.

I am working within her series of eight fictional novels, and focusing on the supernatural moments that are spectacular in some way to me. I am not looking to be literal in illustrating these novels, but using color, portraiture, simplification, symbols, cultural signifiers, and Christian faith languages to make paintings, drawings, and collages that nod to Morrisons' catalog. I am considering my family history and photos, migration, habits, narrated stories, folklore, and possessions while approaching this work. I am the line that connects Morrisons' literature to my artwork. Morrisons' catalog is the root of this idea of Black Ordinary life and its sprinkling of magical realism.