Syvia Sykes is a portrait and figurative painter whose work focuses on themes of identity shifting the focus from devices back to people. As a biracial artist she explores concepts of belonging, capturing women and minorities as a way to strengthen her own connection to these groups and heal previous feelings of isolation from them. Her residency work will reframe Biblical stories into a modern day context within recognizable Akron settings.  Reinterpreting these stories through a contemporary lens makes them more relatable and shows how the overall messages can still be relevant.

Burton D. Morgan Gallery: Exhibition runs Sept. 20 - Oct. 28, 2023