decolonizing creativity

I designed this new poster last month, in February. I have had a few commissions this year, and the work has been so much that I can barely keep up with my blog. Please excuse the delay. This poster was a commissioned for the 23rd Annual Empowering Women of Color Conference (EWOCC). EWOCC is recognized to be one of the longest running conferences in the nation that addresses the needs and concerns of women of color. The conference brings together cutting edge women of color activists such as Angela Davis, Elaine Brown, Cherrie Moraga, Gina Palcado and Chrystos with Bay Area community leaders and academics (especially students) to discuss and strategize ways of impacting the current issues facing women of color.

For this particular piece,  my task was to explore the theme of creativity by focusing on art as an expression of a woman's life and identity. I wanted to show women in different disciplines as well as the woman activist. I brainstormed about the idea for weeks, and then, one night in bed, I decided to mirror the theme in the adjacent poster, developed by a Cuban artist whose name escapes me at the moment. This poster was developed for International Woman's Day.

I decided to create a piece that essentially held the same posture, but with different scenarios and different items in the woman's hands. I opted to photograph myself in different clothes and accessories. Sometimes I wear glasses, sometimes I don't. I pulled out my hat and my bandana. That day, I had a few visitors from Los Angeles, so I was able to stay pretty still while being photographed by my friend Yem. I could have never done this piece alone, the pose would not have been as exact.

I was so happy with how this piece turned out, that I decided to also make it a silkcreen without the text. Instead, the text I will use is by Amilcar Cabral, "Culture contains the seed of resistance which blossoms into the flower of liberation.”

Here are some photos from the event. Special thanks to Zelideth Maria Rivas for getting me these photos and for inviting me to develop the art for this year's conference.