---
title: "2 Blackness Quotes By Toyin Odutola"
description: "2 Blackness quotes by Toyin Odutola. Plus more from Toyin Odutola and more Blackness sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/toyin-odutola-27779_about_being-a-black-artist-the-first-thing-peo_1470754.jpg"
---

> [Being a black artist, the first thing people want to talk about is your blackness, the importance of your blackness, and your black presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/being-a-black-artist-the-first-thing-people-want-to-talk-about-is/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/toyin-odutola-27779_about_being-a-black-artist-the-first-thing-peo_1470754.jpg)

> [Where some may see flat, static narratives, I see a spectrum of tonal gradations and realities. What I am creating is literally black portraiture with ballpoint pen ink. I'm looking for that in-between state in an individual where the overarching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/where-some-may-see-flat-static-narratives-i-see-a-spectrum-of-tonal/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/toyin-odutola-27779_ballpoint-pens_where-some-may-see-flat-static-narrative_1803199.jpg)

## Other authors on Blackness

- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b015/author-kerry-james-marshall-56696.jpg) Kerry James Marshall 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackness/kerry-james-marshall/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-michael-eric-dyson-67074.jpg) Michael Eric Dyson 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackness/michael-eric-dyson/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b023/author-sylvia-plath-88486.jpg) Sylvia Plath 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackness/sylvia-plath/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-bell-hooks-16868.jpg) Bell Hooks 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackness/bell-hooks/)

## More by Toyin Odutola

> [I'm really interested in independent publishers and memes and mini comics. But even before that, I was interested in Japanese manga and anime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-m-really-interested-in-independent-publishers-and-memes-and-mini/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [For a while, I was nervous about portraying women because of the objectification that automatically comes with it, whether the artist intends or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/for-a-while-i-was-nervous-about-portraying-women-because-of-the/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [The social media bit is really about documenting process. I like the dialogue if it's constructive, but I'm now at a crossroads. I've accumulated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/the-social-media-bit-is-really-about-documenting-process-i-like-the/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [I needed to create something I could take with me wherever I went.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-needed-to-create-something-i-could-take-with-me-wherever-i-went/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [I dont think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I need it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-dont-think-about-race-before-i-start-drawing-i-think-about-how-to/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [I kept wanting to push my image as validity; I wanted to see my portrait on a wall and know it was okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-kept-wanting-to-push-my-image-as-validity-i-wanted-to-see-my/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [Being a black artist, the first thing people want to talk about is your blackness, the importance of your blackness, and your black presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/being-a-black-artist-the-first-thing-people-want-to-talk-about-is/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [For a while, I was nervous about portraying women because of the objectification that automatically comes with it, whether the artist intends or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/for-a-while-i-was-nervous-about-portraying-women-because-of-the-2/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [Where some may see flat, static narratives, I see a spectrum of tonal gradations and realities. What I am creating is literally black portraiture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/where-some-may-see-flat-static-narratives-i-see-a-spectrum-of-tonal/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [It's kind of a language I've developed over time that's basically breaking up the face into components and planes. Inside each plane, I draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/it-s-kind-of-a-language-i-ve-developed-over-time-that-s-basically/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [Kerry James Marshall especially was a huge influence on me in graduate school, as were Wangechi Mutu and Julie Mehretu. These artists are titans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/kerry-james-marshall-especially-was-a-huge-influence-on-me-in/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [I moved around a lot when I was a child; two of the houses I grew up in have totally disappeared. One was burnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-moved-around-a-lot-when-i-was-a-child-two-of-the-houses-i-grew-up/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [I don't think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I need it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-don-t-think-about-race-before-i-start-drawing-i-think-about-how-to/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [I started blogging because I didn't know if I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to talk to other people online who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-started-blogging-because-i-didn-t-know-if-i-wanted-to-be-an-artist/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

> [The graphic style itself is influenced by a lot of very layered and detailed comics that I read as a kid, like 'Vagabond' by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/the-graphic-style-itself-is-influenced-by-a-lot-of-very-layered-and/)

[Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/)

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