"She's Gotta Brain Too Ya'Know" (2022)

 "She's Gotta Brain Too Ya' Know" is one of Mr. X's pieces in a series of cross-cultural perceptions of sex and nudity. The American porn industry is one of the most voluminous fields of production. It imposes on the innate tendency towards sexual gratification and manipulates our minds into a grotesque obsession with sex and the human body. Mr. X was interested in this fascination as he always had an appreciation for the woman's body from both a physical and spiritual standpoint. From the physical, or sexual standpoint his appreciation of curves is perhaps inspired by the reproductive potential of life from an evolutionary sense as well as a cultural inclination to like that of which is big (big booty Judy, big breasts, big hair, big personalities). From a spiritual standpoint, Mr. X was interested in the glory of a woman with respect to her body and her mind. Women are the havens of life, and serve as a building block to life, nurturing youth and literally fostering care for life in all domains. 

He created this art to highlight the irony of his coming of age. He himself is a product of a social stigma, which gratifies the voluptuousness of the woman's body. Although this is not the end-all-be-all of a woman's worth, he acknowledges that curvaceousness is an emblem of his desired archetype. Nonetheless, Mr. X acknowledges his dismay with society's inclination to judge women wholeheartedly by their physical appearance. Thus inspired the name "She's Gotta Brain Too Ya'Know". Mr. X intentionally creates a grayish background symbolizing the abyss by which a lot of women must find their identity. It juxtaposes the will to assert oneself above societal ascriptions alongside a woman's capability to be educated, graceful, and ultimately more than just her body. Mr. X aims to bridge a gap of understanding, and charges that the woman can be both smart and sexy, as the enlightened human being is conscious of all of the facets that intersect and correlate to formulate a person's identity. He charges that because one possesses one quality that is overwhelmingly lauded or recognized by society, by no way or means sanctions that that woman is merely that "one thing". In fact, the boxing in of a person, in this particular case, a woman's identity disrupts a chance for oneness of a society. 

Artistically, Mr. X challenges the psyche by making the woman's body voluptuous. She has perky breasts and her butt pokes out. Ironically, her nude body attracts more attention at first glance than her head which is, by scale, the largest bodily feature on the canvas. He intentionally leaves her face unpainted as a play on the idea that she is misunderstood, therefore her true colors are never shown. She has a face of confusion with one eyebrow raised and lips that pucker still to provide a kiss (symbol of love and care). Her thick eyelashes are an emblem of contemporary African-American aesthetic and inspired by his younger sister's love for long, flowey eyelashes. Her head is bald to symbolize her strength and boldness (in a Western World perspective)

The imagined frustration of the lady to be truly seen (even by the very artist responsible for her inception) led Mr. X to create a slash in the canvas. Almost like a final cry for help. It slashes through her mouth because often times women in this society are silenced or overshadowed when they express their sentiments. Nonetheless, her anger does not break or divide her from herself, thus explaining why the slash does not completely separate the mind from the body or soul. Rather, her human condition and coming of consciousness inspires her to forward her vision and hopefully be seen as a human being and not just a sexy body.