People interact with culture in different ways, some consume culture, some create culture, and some do both. Torrence Jackson does both, he’s a budding artist from Detroit who draws inspiration from around the world and focuses on painting, illustrations, and murals. He has built his art skill sets and techniques through practicing self-taught methods. Japanese anime and manga, luxury fashion and streetwear, and hip hop and RnB feed Torrence’s creative flow, allowing him to step outside of normal pop culture. His portrayals include a wide range of icons from revolutionary figures like Malcolm X to rap legends like Nipsey Hussle and even iconic anime characters like Astro Boy and Akira, truly finding the synergy to blend all these worlds into one. 

Ruggedness and elegance may appear to be far from each other, but Torrence seamlessly turns things that society deems rigid into a thing of luxury. Pieces such as the “Doberman Series” places a fierce, but beautiful dog in the middle of his anime/grafitti world. By replacing the collar with designer fabrics, he brings elegance to what could be considered an intimidating animal. draped in expensive fabric, is just one of many examples of how he allows those worlds to collide effortlessly. As someone who finds refuge in his artistic expression, Torrence uses his work to address his own feelings and need for diversity in the art world today. Black representation within art is vital in order to understand the various versions of strength, beauty, and community. Torrence does not shy away from making it his goal to ensure that representation exists as he uses his art to express the beauty of black femininity, the struggles of social injustice, or the success of black culture in world.