Interviews
Cecil Norris
Cecil Norris makes paintings and drawings that draw on the canon and popular culture to create a contemporary vision of race, masculinity, sexuality, and trauma through the act of portraiture. Norris’s paintings disrupt the tropes of classical portraiture through the juxtaposition of black culture. Examining the urban fabric, Norris aims to blur the lines of realism and abstraction to reveal something that has been lost from history and investigate the ambiguity and perplexity of black identity. Cecil Norris was born in 1995 in Shelby, North Carolina, where he currently lives and works. Norris received a BoA from the School of Architecture at UNC at Charlotte. He is now an art teacher at Crest High School, where he hopes to cultivate a new age of artists.
Artist: Cecil Norris
Based in Shelby, NC, USA
Instagram: @cj_norrisart
Culturally features:
"Head and Sentiment: Dreams of an Artist", May 29-July 30 2021, Milostka Center for Exhibitions
What do you aim to say by the themes in your work?
There are many themes in my art from race, religion, gender, and others, but I am looking to examine the placement of people in society and present a different narrative about them.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes from the examination of my life, through stories I've been told throughout my life, and through a lot of reading. I enjoy reading, especially historical books/narratives about African Americans.
How would you describe your creative process?
My process starts by coming up with an idea, once I have the idea, then I will look at art history to finding paintings that respond to my idea. After that, I will make multiple sketches and color studies before I start on the final painting.
What is integral to your work as an artist?
Reading and studying is integral to my work as an artist. I believe we must understand to past to better situate ourselves in the present and future.
Do you have any experiences that have impacted your art?
I am an African American male and I have experienced a good bit of trauma relating to race and the environment I grew up in. I use that and present it in my work.
What advice do you have for aspiring artists?
My advice would be to make from the soul instead of worrying about whether or not the piece will sell before it’s even finished. Make room for new adventures, they may open doors that you didn’t know existed. And last, please be kind to yourself!
