Ekphrasis in Black
Ekphrasis in Black is a 10-week poetry, photography, and political education incubator in partnership with The Beautiful Project. Over the course of the program, we were tasked with crafting 2-3 poems, a collection of photos, a zine, and a final exhibit. I'm forever grateful for this space that rekindled my love for writing, stretched me as an artist, and allowed me to bond with other black, queer creatives.
Scroll through to see my notes about the process.
The Poetry
Writing my piece "How it Feels to be Colored Me" brought me so much joy. This poem was special for two reasons.
One- I felt like I was in communion with Zora Neale Hurston while writing it (who, if you didn't know, wrote an essay by the same title). Throughout my time as an English major, my professors often critiqued her essay as “too idealistic” in comparison to other Harlem Renaissance artists such as Claude McKay and Langston Hughes. However, that interpretation never stuck with me. From the first time I read “How it Feels to be Colored Me” (the essay), I always saw it as a warm embrace of black joy and black life despite oppression and racial violence.
Two- it was the first time I performed my poetry for an audience outside of school. I'm eager to refine how I embody this poem both on stage and in my daily life.
The Zine
As the lead graphic designer, I immersed myself in the worlds of poems and photography by my cohort mates. Our theme for Sips of Freedom was “a collection of love letters for the black queer community”.
The Vision: These pages are letters that someone cherishes and has saved by pinning them on a wall or taping them into a notebook. The embellishments or trinkets surrounding each poem transport the viewer to a place of comfort and familiarity within each piece.
The Exhibit
Our work was on display for a limited time at the NorthStar Church of the Arts in Durham, NC. Our exhibit was entitled “Kikis in the Poet-tree” and was designed to be a fairy den. The space was truly magical. The opening ceremony immersed me in another world. Even though I heard my cohort mate’s work during workshops, their performances that night resonated with my soul.
It was at this moment that something clicked. After spending the months after graduation, restlessly searching for a purpose and place in the world, I finally found it.
I am a writer.
I am an artist.
And most importantly, I am uniquely worthy of both titles.
