Artist Statement
Ronnie Phillips is an award-winning photographer, mixed-media artist and educator whose insightful works display cultures from America’s rural heartlands, to the villages and cities of West Africa and Brazil. Phillips work has received national praise, winning over 100 awards and 10 “Best of Show” awards.
It was at an art show in Kansas City that Phillips’ work caught the eye of musician, singer, songwriter and actress Sheryl Crowe. She took home two pieces.
His art now graces the homes of Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry and Cecily Tyson, entertainment icon Bill Cosby, comedians and television and film actors Damon Wayans, David Alan Grier and directors Spike, Bill Duke, legendary recording artist Dionne Warwick, television and film actors C.C. Pounder and Glynn Turman.
Phillips began as a freelance photographer in Los Angeles, his hometown, and progressed from having over 100 photographs of celebrities published in magazines such as TV Guide, Essence and Ebony Magazines to developing his own unique take on art photography.
He began with an array of whimsical, warmly colored photographs of children in period clothing. He then moved into bolder photographic statements. He juxtaposed the graffiti and poverty of then gang-infested Los Angeles against the beauty of youth aspiring to dreams far beyond their harsh daily surroundings.
One of the most popular was “I Choose Life,” which showed contrasted, a young black girl in her ballerina tights, against the dingy gang scrawling that was so prevalent on the walls of South Central Los Angeles.
Expanding his talents, Phillips took up painting and injected new possibilities into his work with mixed media. His works now vary from colorful collages of images to acrylic paintings embedded with his award winning photographic accents.
“My goal is that the viewers will be drawn to reflect on their life experiences and ideologies,” Phillips says. “I aspire to assist others to deepen their process of self-reflection through my work.”