I’m Still Black: Osmyn Oree

Frustrated by the limiting stereotypes imposed on Black individuals, artist Osmyn Josef Oree depicts the diversity and depth of Black expression via photography in his I’m Still Black series, on view in the DeSoto Family Vault December 8, 2022 –  January 8, 2023.

Artist Statement

I always found myself looking for a sense of belonging while growing up. As a young Black man, I was told by others what it means to be “BLACK” in our society. The work in this series addresses that feeling of not knowing where I belong in my own culture and the challenge of finding out what it means to be African American today. Investigating Blackness and its facets has become an inward exploration of family and cultural complexity. This work is a meditation on the multiple layers of Blackness, both the differences and the similarities. While we as a people may view each other differently, we are all still BLACK.