Lin Musick is a Liberian American artist, living in Albany, OR. Her series “African Dancers” explores the joy of black identity through a play of light and negative special silhouette. Her figures are generic and anonymous, yet each position is expressive and specifically in motion. Lin’s work with animal motifs are more loose and colorful. They are not always a specific species or attached to realism, but rather are mythical creatures inspired by the animals of her childhood. Lin’s work is a way that she connects with her cultural identity, from which she often feels removed and untethered. Through these figures she both remembers and creates a community of dynamic objects where she is not only creating representations but feels represented.

 

Lin likes to paint and draw themes of social justice and heritage, especially of her personal heroes of the Black Lives Matter Movement. All of her paintings are covered in bright colors that explode off of the canvas, and her clay creations seem to have lives of their own. Lin says, "Sometimes it's easier for me to not think about what I am doing; I feel like an artist's work can speak for them." She lets her imagination take control and embraces whatever it brings.

 

She finds peace in the outdoors and the garden by the studio and helps take care of the plants. She likes listening to music and reading, especially stories about the American Girl dolls she collects.

 

Recently, Lin created an African mask that she is very excited about. She likes to find ways to "incorporate her African culture," and the mask is a perfect representation of her passion.