ARTIST STATEMENT

I will work on a new series entitled Cotton Flower. The system of slavery solely valued enslaved women for their labor and ability to increase the production of slaves via childbirth. The threat of sexual assault, violence, and forced separation from their children pushed some of these women to revolt against this system by participating in acts of resistance targeted towards reproduction. On cotton plantations, in particular, some enslaved women chewed on cotton roots to prevent pregnancy and induce abortions, thus preventing their children from entering a world determined to abuse and destroy them. Throughout this new series, I intend to examine the gender-specific resistance of enslaved Black women as the seed that bears fruit in the myriad of ways that Black women continue to revolt against racial and gender oppressive systems today.

While in residence at CHAW, I will create mixed-media collages for the Cotton Flower series, incorporating textiles and found objects into my paper-based works. Completed works will hang in the gallery, while a designated area of the space will be transformed into a working studio. The studio space will offer visitors an intimate look into my creative process as I work to develop this new body of work. To further engage the community, I will lead artist driven demonstrations of mixed media collage and organize a small library of texts dedicated to the medium of collage and Black women’s resistance throughout American history.