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Rae Parker

Rae Parker has always created artwork to speak with integrity, awareness and power. There isn’t a collection of work that remains the same. Each piece has it’s own meaning and purpose. It is to create with a dare to have multiple dimensions to make the audience change their perspective in some way or another. Graduating from the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago, Rae earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Visual Communications. Using digital and traditional applications to create, Rae still seeks to learn more to develop as their career continues.

   Most recently, Rae’s artwork has been based on two factors: Awareness and Empowerment. The awareness is shown through pieces that represent social, political, and injustice. Other bodies of work are represented with powerful images of women. One of Rae’s favorite creations is the painting, “My Sun Shall Shine Forever”. This particular piece has a image of the Holy Black Madonna and Child (or Isis and Horus) with sculpted bullets as Madonna’s halo. My Sun Shall Shine Forever simply represents the numerous killings of Black men, through police brutality and gang violence.

   Rae Parker’s art isn’t here to make people feel content and blind to truth. The work speaks to everyone that comes across it. Sometimes words aren’t necessary to make a powerful statement or impact. Nina Simone once said, “You can’t help it. An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.” Since their youth, Rae has used this mantra, Reflect the Times. Not to “give folks what they want to see” because it’s popular at the moment and bright. Rae would rather give what’s chaotic one moment and unexpected with the next. Rae has been featured in art shows around central Indianapolis, Los Angeles and publications. As a teacher and one of the 18 artists that created the Black Lives Mural on historic Indiana Avenue, this journey won’t be ending any time soon.