Artist Bio

Sandy Clafford and I am a New York-based interdisciplinary visual artist of Afro-Latin descent, working under the pseudonym “The Queen’s Artillery”. Clafford was born and raised Brooklyn in the early 80's, which gives her a deep sense of attachment to her borough and the culture it fostered. Her upbringing in Brooklyn serves as a driving force in her artistic inspiration, and speaks to the celebration and self-expression that is so important to the Black community. The series, What That Mouth Do, expresses the multiplicity of women while confronting the common sexual innuendo. While The Predecessors – Deck of Queens, is the prelude to her new series, and an adaptation of the original playing card. The Queen’s Court- Reclaiming My Time collection, focuses on memorializing and reimagining the classical era with representation of the Black figures of modern culture. Clafford paints a lot in her practices, and it has progressed with mixed media assemblage. She incorporates vibrant textiles and textured background designs of sequins, glitter, microbeads, and diamond dust. Clafford adorns the subjects in her portraitures in paper, cloth, crystals, and enamel. The structures and limitations imposed on her femininity and Blackness serve as a driving force in her artistic motivation. Clafford’s experiences and perspectives as a Black woman inform and shape in the creative process, allowing her to explore and comment on the complexities of these identities through art. Clafford’s work explores the intersection of contemporary Black luxury culture and ancestral heritage, employing a multitude of intricate details to bridge the gap between the past and the future. The work's narrative de-stigmatizes the cultural relics of Black traditions and discovers self-advocacy through elements of activism, community, and luxury culture.

Artist Statement

Sandy Clafford and I am a New York-based interdisciplinary visual artist of Afro-Latin descent, working under the pseudonym “The Queen’s Artillery”. Clafford was born and raised Brooklyn in the early 80's, which gives her a deep sense of attachment to her borough and the culture it fostered. Her upbringing in Brooklyn serves as a driving force in her artistic inspiration, and speaks to the celebration and self-expression that is so important to the Black community. The series, What That Mouth Do, expresses the multiplicity of women while confronting the common sexual innuendo. While The Predecessors – Deck of Queens, is the prelude to her new series, and an adaptation of the original playing card. The Queen’s Court- Reclaiming My Time collection, focuses on memorializing and reimagining the classical era with representation of the Black figures of modern culture. Clafford paints a lot in her practices, and it has progressed with mixed media assemblage. She incorporates vibrant textiles and textured background designs of sequins, glitter, microbeads, and diamond dust. Clafford adorns the subjects in her portraitures in paper, cloth, crystals, and enamel. The structures and limitations imposed on her femininity and Blackness serve as a driving force in her artistic motivation. Clafford’s experiences and perspectives as a Black woman inform and shape in the creative process, allowing her to explore and comment on the complexities of these identities through art. Clafford’s work explores the intersection of contemporary Black luxury culture and ancestral heritage, employing a multitude of intricate details to bridge the gap between the past and the future. The work's narrative de-stigmatizes the cultural relics of Black traditions and discovers self-advocacy through elements of activism, community, and luxury culture.