RAYMOND ROLLINS
Houston, TX
2023-2024 Grant No Fear of Emotions & Wine Lover's NFT collection
Mini Grant 2018-2019, 2019-2020
Scholarship 2021-2022
Raymond Rollins is a painter and mixed media artist “unable and unwilling to stop” creating. He will use this grant to create emotive baseball caps for use in behavioral clinics and hospitals. He plans to create 25 baseball caps that display different human emotions through expressive illustrations. Expressions such as “Anger, Fear, Happiness, Sadness, and Loneliness/Invisibleness” can be worn by children or adults who have trouble communicating through words. “The idea behind the Emote caps comes from my own personal experience,” says Rollins. Throughout my life, I’ve always kept a defensive barrier up, especially when it came to speaking. Which made it rather difficult for my therapist and psychiatrist to come up with a treatment plan. Oftentimes, when asked, ‘How I was feeling’, I found it easier to show an image or images that were relatable to my mood.”
Rollins plans to customize a hat rack with a message that explains that they are there for patients to use during their sessions. He is working on compiling a list of clinics and hospitals where the Emote Caps can be distributed. “I believe there are lots of people, young and old, that find opening up in a one-on-one session to be difficult, at times. Having something that can visibly show, or relate to what the person is feeling, can be a great way of starting the discussion between doctor and patient.”
In addition to Emote caps, Rollins will use this grant to continue experimenting with the creation of NFTs. He has created more than 20 NFTs for wine lovers; each showcases a unique character. He looks forward to marketing these digital illustrations to both wine lovers and art lovers alike. No matter what he is creating, Rollins calls his practice “a powerful source of expression and self-confidence.” He is inspired by “nature, emotions, darkness and light, (and) life.”
Rollins has exhibited work at YAYA’s 30th Anniversary Gala and the Chocolate & Art Show in Houston where he currently resides. He has worked as an artist and designer for Bound 4 Glory Ministries, Kingdom Building Blocks, Gifted, Zeeda Much Love and B4G Records.
Raymond Rollins first joined the YAYA Guild in 1995.
All works are copyright of the artist.