I was surrounded by art by virtue of not only the educational opportunities that my mother's foresight availed me to.

I think there's something important in going against the grain, and perhaps finding value in things that aren't necessarily institutionally recognized.

This is something that, as artists, we constantly deal with-throwing away the past, slaying the father, and creating the new. This desire to throw away the old rules.

The backgrounds by design are a very key part of the conversation, because I want a kind of fight or pressure to exist between the figure and the background.

All art is self-portraiture.

Painting is situational. And my particular situation exists within gender, race, class, sexuality, nation.

I believe that artists should be part of the culture. I think that my work clearly bears that out.

The art world has become so insular. The rules have become so autodidactic that, in a sense, they lose track of what people have any interest in thinking about, talking about or even looking at.

We have a lot of sort of received historical ways of viewing portraiture. And I suppose in some way I'm sort of questioning that by toying with the rules of the game.

We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's just sort of in our DNA. And so portraiture is a very human act.

I guess art is in the eye of the beholder.

Life could have been way easier if we can just use "Please, do not disturb" sign in our social lives!

Never practice magic when you're drunk.

Ugliness sees ugliness

Mother Florence had once told her that jealousy was the worst of all faults because it prevented a person from being who they were born to be.

Failure is allowing your fears to make the best of you.

A conservative, a liberal, and a moderate walk into a bar. The bartender says, 'Hi, Mitt.'

The reason why [the medical community] is reluctant to talk about it is because there's such a huge business in pharmaceuticals.

It's good to slowly come to the realization that you understand nothing.

If you write 50 songs, you're bound to write at least a dozen good ones.

I thought Obama ran the best campaign I have ever known - disciplined, well organised, very, very good. I was very impressed.