Suzette Reid-Royster is a multi-media artist from Maryland. Born in West Philadelphia, PA. Suzette began drawing at the age of 5 years old, as her talent progressed her mother encouraged her to date her work and put her age on it. Suzette had dreamed of becoming an artist, however her mother thought it best to start a career path that would be more stable and lucrative. So ultimately Suzette chose a career path in nursing, and her love for art took a backseat to the responsibilities of life. In January 2020 a pivotal life altering change occurred as she lost my last big brother, the grief was unimaginable/suffocating. At the same time in March of 2020 began a global pandemic and shutdown. So while everyone else was sheltering in, as a nurse Suzette still had to go out and face this unknown killer Covid-19. The combination of grief and fear left her in an extreme state of anxiety and depression. Her husband encouraged her to re-explore art as a way to help cope and decompress from the constant fear of contracting the virus and even worse fear of infecting her family. She began to explore with a small oil paint set, and was surprised at what she saw on the canvas. “Code Blue”, her first piece, named that because the painting could be interpreted as the subject being dead or alive in the painting. In that moment, what she thought was long gone talent was suddenly in her purview. Royster expresses her talent through a variety of mediums, from oil painting to working with resin. She explores black culture, finding inspiration in black love, black beauty, and the black body focusing on portraits as a form of self-expression and representational stories. As a black woman in America, her admiration and appreciation for African American culture has deepened over the years. Suzette's paintings seek to capture and commemorate moments of black creativity often overlooked in the art world, offering a unique perspective and honest documentation of the lived experience. Ultimately, Suzette brings stories to life, creating visual impact that captivates and inspires.