By engaging with the history of painting, my decision to use non-traditional surfaces instead of traditional canvas is to disassociate from the history of portrait painting as the legacy of European colonialism. I’m interested in using old master techniques such as glazing to examine how identity is shaped by oppression and assimilation. These transparent glazes over the paintings build layers over time and speak to the washing over of customs and expectations placed on one generation to the next. This thesis will explore the power relations that influence identity, assimilation, and family gatherings such as Christmas. How do these structures govern our behavior and shape our views? The work is meant to disrupt the pagan symbols and iconography of Christmas. Challenging traditional rituals that have been inherited by colonial narratives. How does one act on ones own self-interest in the face of obstacles in a culture that never embraced or included black people?