We Will Not Be Erased

This MA Illustration final major project was an ode to the many generations of Black women who have been under-represented, dismissed, and erased from mainstream Western culture. It was fuelled partly by personal feelings surrounding my own racial identity, and the desire to bring Black women to the forefront. I want to make the unseen 'seen' and show these women as vulnerable, unapologetic, real, important. The project themes intertwine with my thesis, titled 'My Hair Is My Crown', which explores the cultural significance and history of natural afro-textured hair and the effects of Euro-centric beauty ideals on Black women. I was inspired by a diverse range of multi-disciplinary artists who are challenging the mainstream media narrative of what it means to be Black and female in society. Particularly, Atong Atem, Carrie Mae Weems, Titus Kaphar, Kehinde Wiley, and Bryan M. Wilson. My four final mixed-media pieces comment on representation, colonialism, and the power of sisterhood. This is definitely my most personal, soulful project to date.