Portrait Series “Indivisible” Explores Multiracial Identities

By Qimmah Saafir Mar 31, 2015

Samantha Wall began drawing "Indivisible," her collection of black-and-white portraits of women, to explore the meaning of multiracial identities in Korea and the United States.

Wall, who was born to Korean and black parents in Seoul, South Korea, recently spoke to Huffington Post about her inspiration:

I recognized that I was part of a underrepresented group of people. It’s difficult to talk about multiraciality with individuals who can’t understand our perspective. It’s not as simple as being part this and part that, our identities can’t be so easily divided. But art is a language that lends itself to communicating experiences too difficult to comprehend through words alone.

Wall, who is now based in Portland, begins each piece by talking to her subject. Each discussion is different, with topics ranging from politics to personal lives. During the talks, Wall takes hundreds of snapshots to capture her subjects’ expressions. She then chooses a photo to work from and draws the charcoal and ink potrait.

"It is my hope that people feel a connection to the women represented in my work and take with them a small piece of understanding that is nurtured into something larger, stronger, and more present in their lives," Wall told Colorlines in an e-mail.

See more of her work here.