I Took Some Photos That Are Gonna Be In An Art Show.
What does it mean to be feminine? Does that definition stay the same when we factor in race? What about geographical location? How about cultural background?
Who am I? Where am I from & where am I going? What does that have to do with femininity?
With March being Women’s History Month, I’ve had a lot of the thoughts about my own womanhood find their way to the front of my brain. Being a young black woman in a Eurocentric society I am still trying to understand myself, especially when it comes to this idea of being “feminine.”
One woman that has always stood out to me is Solange. A bold but delicate artist, Solange flirts with femininity and what that means to her from a southern gal perspective. Through performance art she explores identity as it relates to the past, present and future, in the visual When I Get Home(The Director’s Cut). Captivated by the stunning visuals I was playing around with the features on my camera and took some triple exposure shots of some of my favorite scenes.
I now have the opportunity to share 2 of my favorite photos from the set in The Primary Movement’s The Divine Feminine: Phenomenal Woman Series Art Show in Atlanta, Georgia.
The first photo being, The Village.
I became a woman with another woman, and another woman, and another. I grew up surrounded by strong black women who at times needed help understanding their femininity to truly be free. Forced into masculine roles I was raised to be strong. This triple exposure shot from my computer screen explores community and the village it takes to grow in your womanhood.
The second photo being, Roots and Migration.
In this show I wanted to dive into tradition, culture, and migration. I felt the power of these three shots and wanted to combine them to tell a stronger niche story. And offer my audience the space to explore its various themes. Women have always been the backbone of any family dynamic. During times of turmoil black people have had to fled and adapt to new surroundings. The birther of new generations I wanted to honor the beauty of the movement of life.
I am super excited to have these two photos on view because it’s not only the first time my work can be experienced outside of North Carolina, but also because I am very proud of them. Each photo provides a dynamic view that entertains the eye no matter what part you focus on. Impactful but also aesthetically pleasing I believe these photos encapsulate femininity. They are complex but at the same time very simple. To me being a woman and living in divine femininity means that you are an encapsulation of the world and the earth beneath your feet. You are strong but at the same time you understand that you can be weak. That does not take away from your strength. A walking contradiction, you are open to every possibility because being a woman means that sometimes you have to be one thing and at other times, another. Women are the givers of life. The strongest vessel on the planet, we embody the idea of movement on a mental, physical and psychological level.
Women are divine, ever-changing creatures that I am still learning everyday.
The Divine Feminine: Phenomenal Woman Series opens March 30th at 7:00pm at beSOCIAL ATL and will close April 6th.
Tickets are FREE and are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-divine-feminine-phenomenal-woman-tickets-274486535617
