Welcome to Let’s Talk, a thought-provoking group mini-series that focuses on a variety of important conversations surrounding the complexities and experiences of Blackness.
Black Hair (2016-)
Black hair is a continuous topic of conversation, whether it's in the media or in the household. Conversations about Black hair focus on determining what is considered good, bad, professional, appropriate, etc. Using this photo project, the intention is to bring attention to the fact that Black hair is diverse and there is no right or wrong way to wear our hair.
"Black hair is a political statement whether we intend it to be or not. It took me 30 years to "claim"my hair. In claiming my hair I also claimed myself. Claiming it means I allow myself to be the only person with a claim on how my hair says anything about my identity. It is an extension of me, not a reflection on me."
"Pharaoh Inkabus: My lock does not scare people. Not knowing who I am, outside of preconceived myths, spooks them more than the loss. Once you know that I'm multitalented and awesome guy to hang around with, you'll automatically put the gangster myth in the lake (I'm not a gangster anyways, despite the fact that I'm a dread head)."
"I used to say I am not my hair...unil I thought deeply about the fact of the matter...I actually am my hair. From the follicle coming out of my scalp to the outer cuticle of my coils. They stare at my curls for which I thought was a dislike for who I am, but they're just tryna figure out the science behind that black girl magic, and yes shrinking is real. I am my hair and I love every bend and twist of my curls and if you have a relaxer... it is okay! Because once those roots grow in, those curls do not lie. Grow it, sew it, cut it, fuck it, love it...!"
Colorism (2016)
Colorist is defined as the biased treatment of individuals based on their skin tone. Colorism can occur interracially (similar to race bias) or intra-racially, with members of the same race. Using both personal and shared experiences, I created a series of art works that emphasized skin tone specific comments.
The Black Figure (2017)
With the aid of the artistic technique of blind contour drawing, I began an intimate personal exploration. Blind Contour Drawing is an exercise that requires the artist to draw the outline of a subject without looking at the paper. I chose this technique because it forced me to actually sit and look at all of me. I wanted to take this as an opportunity to just appreciate my body, something that I found difficult to do for a long time.