I see elders as guardians of the past. They help to give us context for where we are going by reminding us of where we've been. They govern as authority figures, and can also be guides for us.
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Featuring Vivienne Crawford, Esq.
Hair & Makeup by Aziza Walker
Photo Assistance from Brandon Suters
With support from Kiley Baun, Li Sumpter, The Village of Arts & Humanities
Atemporal Artefacts is an on-going body of work that serves as a meditation on legacy, perception, and presence.
Artefacts tell us so much about who we were. They can teach us about the things we desired, feared, revered, and endured. They speak to humankind’s ingenuity and aesthetic sensibilities, and in some cases mark major milestones in our development as a species.
Drawing inspiration from some of the most important relics and artistic eras of human history, this photographic series poses the question of what future art histories could look like. These modern, ‘living artifacts’ assume Blackness as a state of divinity, seamlessly blending elements of afrofuturism, ancient history, and cinematic aesthetics into a cohesive, otherworldly tapestry.
1st Edition. (1/5)
Archival Pigment Print on Photographique Rag. 24” x 30”
Hand-painted vintage frame.
1st Edition. (1/3)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 20” x 24”
Hand-painted vintage frame, Museum glass.
1st Edition. (1/3)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 16” x 20”
Hand-painted vintage frame, Museum glass.
1st Edition. (1/3)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 24” x 30”
Hand-painted vintage frame, Museum glass.
1st Edition. (1/3)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 11” x 14”
Hand-painted vintage frame, Museum glass.
1st Edition. (1/3)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 11” x 14”
Hand-painted vintage frame, Museum glass.
1st Edition. (1/5)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 40” x 40”
1st Edition. (1/5)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 30” x 40”
1st Edition. (1/3)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 40” x 60”
1st Edition. (1/1)
Archival Pigment Print on Photographique Rag.
Hand-painted vintage frame.
1st Edition. (1/1)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 60” x 40”
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 20” x 24”
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 20” x 24”
1st Edition. (1/10)
Archival Pigment Print on Photographique Rag. 8” x 10”
Hand-painted vintage frame.
1st Edition. (1/5)
Archival Pigment Print on Metallic Rag. 24” x 30”
Solo Exhibition @ The Space Art Gallery Philadelphia
Utajiri, the Swahili word for Wealth, is a series of images that serve as a meditation on luxury. Specifically, who is perceived as “worthy” of luxury, especially in Western society. The subject, garbed in rich blue velvet and accessorized by pearls and citrus, is regal in their bearing, and fluid in their apparent gender expression. Visually, the series taps into familiar cues from Western works of art history, while the title is of Bantu origin, a tongue foreign to most Westerners. In this way, the viewer is encouraged to confront and expand their ideas of what wealth looks and sounds like.
(Utajiri is pronounced Oo-tah-gee-ree, or Oo-tah-jee-ree)
La Romance is a series of images that serve as a meditation on the relationship between love and innocence.
No matter our distinctions, one thing that connects us all is love. This album is a collection of commissioned and personal images that celebrate life. Moments that spark joy in our lives are the universal riches.
A rich tapestry of complexions, ethnicities, and textures. This album is a celebration of the undeniable beauty of melanated people.
